A Simple Twist of Fate
by WellMadeMistake
Summary: AU, All Human Edward has moved cross country from Washington to Florida to attend school after ending a nasty relationship, only to find himself instantly attracted to a beautiful brunette he sees in traffic. Rated M for language and lemons
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fanfic on this site so I'm totally open to any and all suggestions and feedback.**

**I'm a little bored with the whole, "Bella is lovably insecure" character trait, so my Bella will be a little more, I don't know, _real_ I guess? **

**I moved the story from Washington to Florida because I know Florida, plus I thought they could use a little change of scenery as well.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

EPOV

At almost 22 years old, this was going to be my first summer away, truly away. From everything. I'd lived my entire life in a town in northern Washington State where more than half of the population were college students attending the local university. If you were between the ages of 18 and 24 the town was great, the picture of school spirit- nothing but bars, night clubs, and sporting events. Of course, if you weren't into that sort of stuff, I guess you'd be kind of screwed.

My parents were both professors there. In fact, my dad had a building named after him in the new medical school. So my making their alma mater my own was pretty much just inevitability. Hell, the name Edward Cullen had practically been on the student roster since I was old enough to read. So when I graduated high school, I already had the next four years of my life laid out ahead of me, with every minute detail planned. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my first couple of years of college. I was pre-med, which made my dad happy, but was also what I'd wanted. I'd done my fair share of partying and dated around a bit. Nothing serious, mostly because the girls you meet in bars and clubs tended to not be the kind that you can really get too serious with anyway. I certainly wasn't opposed to being serious with someone, but I wasn't one to force the issue either. I'd had to endure years of ribbing from my guy friends when I'd complain about how a girl I'd been talking to couldn't hold a decent conversation. They'd say that decent conversation didn't matter as long as she could give a decent blow job.

Finally, my 21st birthday rolled around and my buddy Derek insisted that we hit the bars and that I get sufficiently trashed for the evening. We started at a little pub called The Warehouse and that's when I saw her. Derek and I and I few of our friends had pre-partied a bit before heading out, so by the time we reached the pub I was definitely riding a good buzz and was feeling more than a little emboldened with liquid courage. I walked right up to this girl shooting pool with another guy and struck up a conversation. She seemed a little taken aback by my obvious attempts at hitting on her and she quickly forgot about the guy she had come with.

Kayla…

She wasn't the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen by any means, but she was the only non-bottle blonde in the place, so I had to work with what I had. She was cute enough though; about 5'6", auburn hair, hazel eyes, thin. A little too thin for my liking, but by far the most interesting looking girl in the bar that night. She told me she was 19, a sophomore Psychology major who had moved in from some hick town in Iowa. She and I talked for a while, the bar was loud and I had to lean into her a lot so she could hear me, which lead to a lot of giggling on her part, and me ordering round after round of drinks even after Derek had insisted we move on to another bar. She got cuter and smarter the drunker I got, and I thought to myself, "Man, I've really found someone different." Don't get me wrong, Kayla was cute, and she really was smart; smart like "I can play scrabble and not try to pass off bajillion as an actual word."

Needless to say, I took her back to my apartment that night and we had sloppy drunk sex. It was good, I guess, as far as sloppy drunk sex goes. In the morning, she was still there, and I really didn't mind that. The only problem was that, after that, she never left. I was never one to give girls the complete brush-off, but I knew it wasn't going to go anywhere with this girl. So I humored her when she asked for my number. I humored her when she wanted to hang out. I humored her when she wanted to hook up.

Ugh…

I guess I really did bring it all on myself. I should have just been a jerk and told her that I wasn't interested right from the beginning. But no, instead I strung the poor girl along simply because I was lonely. It was nice to have a warm body in my bed, it was nice to know that somebody out there cared about me, even if I couldn't care for her the way she cared for me.

Finally after about 4 months my conscience couldn't take it anymore; I had to break it off with her. Though she and I had never officially declared ourselves anything, I felt like I was getting ready to dump her. I went to her apartment when I knew her roommate wasn't home and told her we needed to talk. I told her as delicately as I could that I didn't feel the same way for her that she did for me and that I couldn't see her anymore.

She cried. She screamed. She threw things. And then she told me that it wasn't over. I insisted that it_ was_, in fact, over and I let myself out.

That's when the constant emails, text messages, phone calls and random knocks on my door started. I felt awful for what I'd done and I knew I'd brought the entire mess on myself, but that didn't change the fact that sweet little Kayla had all of a sudden turned into a raging psychopath. That was pretty much the beginning of the end for me in Washington. It really wasn't a secret that I didn't really find the school exactly academically challenging and had been kicking around the idea of transferring to someplace new for a while. That, coupled with the fact that I now had a bona fide stalker on my hands, made my decision to transfer as far away as humanly possible a really easy one.

So after 4 months of "dating" Kayla, and 7 months of dealing with her ridiculous possessiveness and obsession, I made the move from Washington University to Florida State; thousands of miles from my parents, anyone who knew me, and any girls who wanted to skin me alive and/or have my babies.

I packed up my apartment into as few boxes as possible and loaded it into my Volvo. The rest could be shipped when I got settled in. I made the cross country drive by myself. And I rented an off campus apartment,_ by myself_. I needed to just be on my own for a while, I had seen what kind of trouble involving other people in my affairs could bring and I needed a break.

It was the beginning of July, and I knew I'd be bored out of my mind if I didn't do_ something_, so I found an accelerated online course on Ancient Mythology. It wasn't a class that was expressly required for my major, but it seemed at least mildly interesting and would give me something to do while negotiating a new city.

The one thing I had on my agenda to do today was to get registered and start living my new life.

BPOV

"My schedule is already packed for the fall, but that still leaves me 3 credit hours short of graduation, ugh!" I screamed when I looked at my transcript. This is utterly ridiculous! Why did this school have to make it so damned difficult just to graduate? There were so many hoops to jump through.

"Calm down, it's not the end of the world," my roommate, Alice said soothingly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I know," I grumbled, "its just one more thing I have to deal with. As if I don't have enough on my plate."

"Just go down to the registrar's office and see if there's a summer class you can pick up," Alice offered, and I knew it was either that or spend another semester here for just one stupid class. I didn't like the idea of having to wait until the following spring semester to graduate, but I'd also planned on having a relatively responsibility free summer too.

"I guess you're right, Alice," I conceded. "I might as well get this over with."

I trudged into my room to get dressed and gather my things. Pissed as I was at my current situation, creating the perfect ensemble was the last thing on my mind so I just threw on a pair of jeans, a white "wife-beater" tank top, and my favorite boots. I also grabbed my leather jacket out of the closest and grimaced at having to wear it in 90 degree heat. As uncomfortable as it was to wear a leather jacket in the peak the Florida summer, it was, however, a necessity when I decided to ride my motorcycle.

My Ducati GT1000, my baby. (Picture in my profile) I loved that thing but usually reserved riding it for the fall and spring months when it wasn't too hot or too cold. I didn't have much choice in the matter as of right now, even though it was the beginning of July, because my car was in the shop after being side swiped by some frat boy in a pick-up truck. Despite the fact that I knew I'd be drenched in sweat by the time I reached my destination, I looked forward to getting some of my frustrations out on the open road.

I don't know what it was about my bike that I loved so much. Maybe it was the sense of freedom it gave me, or the sense of power; there was nothing like gripping a couple hundred pounds of steel between your legs to make you feel in control. Plus, a girl on sleek motorcycle like mine seemed to get the attention of every guy on the road, which I couldn't complain about. Jake certainly liked the idea of me riding it, but I didn't really care much about what Jake liked any more.

Jake was my boyfriend, well…_ is_ my boyfriend. We've been together for a little less than a year and he really is a great guy. He was one of the starting tight ends on our nationally ranked football team; 6'5", dark skin, black hair and eyes, muscled in places I didn't even know anyone could be, completely solid. Seriously, he was like a brick wall personified, except unbelievably hot and incredibly sweet. So hot, in fact, and I'm not ashamed to admit, that he'd even been the star of a few of my shower head fantasies before we'd even officially met.

We'd met through a friend of a friend at some ridiculous Hawaiian luau. I was hanging out by the keg feeling out of place and awkward amongst so many frat boys and sorority skanks. Jake walked up looking about as uncomfortable as I did. I couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic he looked, he laughed right back at me, I guess deciding that I looked equally pathetic; we laughed at each other and just like that we hit it off. The entire night he never left my side. We talked and joked and flirted, and everything was incredible. Never in a million years would I have thought that a jock could be so articulate and genuinely sweet. He drove me home and we made out in his car in front of my apartment. I was actually pretty surprised that he didn't even try to push it further than that, he just asked if he could call me sometime and walked me to my door.

Jake really was…_ is_ a great guy. The problem is that we're just really better suited as friends. He can make me laugh like no one else in the world. He's one of the few people in the entire world who know me, and I mean really_ know_ me. It's just that over the last month or so we've really been more like friends with benefits than an actual couple. He does his thing and I do mine and our lives really don't cross much except when we want to have sex. Believe me, sex with Jake is incredible and I'm really,_ really_ going to miss it when I finally get up the nerve to break it off with him. It just really isn't fair to either of us to keep pretending like that same old spark is still there, when it so obviously is not.

_God, I think it's extra hot out today_, thought as I pulled my bike to a stop at a red light near the registrar's office. I pushed the zipper on my jacket down a little to get some air flow onto my neck and chest. As I waited for the light to turn green, I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching me. It wasn't uncommon for me to get stares while zipping around town on my motorcycle, so I looked around to see who the unabashed culprit was.

I saw him right away sitting behind the wheel of a shiny silver Volvo in the lane next to me. He was extremely handsome with coppery colored hair, chiseled features, a strong jaw, and piercing green eyes. A surge of pride welled up inside of me having caught such a hot guy's attention. His eyes kept darting from me to the bike and back again, so when the light finally turned green I lifted the visor of my helmet, winked at him, and sped off, leaving him in my dust.

EPOV

I was sitting at a red light when I heard the distinct purring of a Ducati engine. I'd recognize that sound anywhere after I'd pined away over my dad's GT1000 for years. I looked to my left and saw the source of the purr idling right beside me. It truly was a beautiful piece of machinery, silver and chrome, sleek and powerful. But my attention didn't stay locked on the bike for too long, it was beautiful woman riding it that stole my gaze. I guess I couldn't really say "beautiful" because her face was hidden behind a sleek black helmet, but what I could see certainly was impressive. She had a petite figure, but she was curvy in all the right places. She wore a pair of jeans that were slung dangerously low on her hips and clung to her hips and thighs like a second skin. The jeans dipped low enough to reveal a swath of tanned skin between the denim and the hem of her fitted leather jacket. She also had a plait of chestnut brown curls that cascaded out from under the helmet. I couldn't help but stare, but was totally surprised when the helmet covered face turned to look at me. We stared each other down for a split second, me not being able to see her face through the dark visor. She then flicked up the visor with a quick flick of her wrist, revealing a pair of warm chocolate colored eyes. Then one of those eyes winked at me, before its owner sped off through the intersection, leaving me stunned in her dust.

_Wow, that was probably one of the hottest things I've ever seen_, I chuckled to myself._ I think I'm going to like this place._ No, I've gotta quit thinking like that; girls are bad news right now._ Doesn't hurt to look, now does it?_ I argued with myself. No, I guess looking, and probably drooling, was allowable.

I put the car in gear and sped off to the registrar's office to finally get myself registered. To my surprise, there was the little motorcycle hottie parked right up front. I parked a couple of rows back from her so I could watch her with the pretense of walking towards the building.

She stood with one leg on either side of the mass of steel and rubber, her legs just barely long enough to reach the ground. She pulled off the black helmet and revealing even more of her cascade of chestnut colored hair, parts of it matted to her forehead and neck with sweat. She slowly slid down the zipper of her jacket to reveal a flimsy white tank top that covered the most perfect looking breasts I've ever seen. Without paying me any attention, she swept her sweat soaked hair into a loose knot at the crown of her head, in the process revealing a small black tattoo on the back of her neck. But it was her face that really stopped me cold. There were those warm chocolate colored eyes, paired with a small straight nose, and full, pouty lips.

I gulped. This girl, whoever she was, was my every fantasy rolled up into one. She still didn't pay any attention to me, despite my obvious staring, as she shoved her jacket into her helmet and walked briskly toward the door of the registrar's office.

_Headed to the same place? It's definitely a sign…_

Shut up, brain. No girls. Not even insanely hot ones who ride incredible motorcycles.  
I walked up the stairs after her, barely three steps behind, without her noticing. Or maybe she did notice and was ignoring me on purpose. That seemed about right. After all, I didn't know this girl and she certainly didn't know me. What reason would we have to strike up a conversation?

I took a deep breath before walking through the double doors and refocusing on the task at hand. I couldn't help but sneak one last glance at her gorgeous face as she walked up to one of the desks.

"Name?" I heard the woman behind the desk ask.

"Isabella S-"_ Wham!_ Suddenly I'd forgotten about the girl and what I was there to do. All I could focus on was the pain in the side of my face that ran from my jaw to my forehead.

"Hey sorry man, didn't see you there. You okay?" A huge guy with curly brown hair asked.

"What? Oh. Yeah, fine. Sorry. I guess I wasn't paying much attention." I said trying to shake myself out of the fog the collision had put me in.

"I'm Emmett McCarty. Hey, didn't you just move in to the apartments on 7th avenue?" he asked, all too jovially.

"Uhh… yeah. Couple days ago. I'm Edward. Cullen. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, I thought you looked familiar. My friend Jasper and I live a couple doors down. Saw you moving in the other day.

"Yeah, I just transferred from Washington U," I replied. For some reason it was easy to talk to this guy. Despite the fact that he was enormous, a huge bear of a guy, and could easily leave some people shaking in their boots.

"Hey listen, I'm sorry about running in to you, but I've gotta jet. You gonna be around your apartment later? I think me and some of my boys were gonna hit up a party tonight. You can come with us if you want. It'll make up for me almost giving you a concussion." He smiled widely at me, a genuinely friendly expression on his face.

I knew no one in this town, and I had absolutely nothing going on, on my first Friday night in town, so I figured, why not?

"Sure. I'll be around. Just knock on my door…whenever."

"Cool, good to meet you, Edward." He said before turning and jogging off down one of the halls.

"Yeah, you too, man," I called after him. I started to look around the room for the girl I'd followed in, but she was nowhere to be found.

_Damn…_

I couldn't get around it, this girl was stuck in my head now and all I knew about her was her first name.

_Isabella…_

* * *

**Woo! Bring on the reviews!**

Musical inspiration for this chapter is Ready to Roll by Jet Black Stare (/watch?vwzPX7YtEWSM) It's all about driving fast, I think its pretty fitting.

Also, Bella's Motorcycle (/Ducati/Images/Bikes/SportClassicGT1000/13800.jpg) It really is a beautiful piece of machinery, I want one myself


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So this chapter marks the introduction of Jake's character. Post BD, I have a new found appreciation for him, so I'm gonna be super nice.**

* * *

EPOV

After getting registered for that Ancient Mythology class in the summer and picking up a full load in the fall I headed back to my sparsely furnished apartment. Since I'd brought as little with me as possible, the only furniture I had was stuff that I could fit into my car, which, as of right now, consisted of a whole lot of camping equipment.

_Note to self, buy some damn furniture…_

Just another thing on my list of things to do. I'd get around to it eventually, but right now all I wanted to do was think about_ her._ Isabella… I kept going over every detail of her appearance in my head, trying to memorize every tiny facet of her face, her skin, her hair, her ass…

_Stop it! She's probably just like the rest; sweet on the outside, fucking nuts on the inside. _  
Doesn't change the fact that she was insanely hot, sexy, incredible. I sank into the memory of how her thighs gripped the body of her motorcycle as she idled at the stop light. How the thin fabric of her tank top was stretched so tightly over her perfectly round breasts. The slight glistening of sweat on her long, slender neck.

I was brought out of my reverie by the sound of pounding on my front door. As I moved from room to room, I noticed that while I was zoned out the sky had started to darken and the sun was slipping behind the horizon. Had I really zoned out for that long?

"Hey, bro," Emmett said as soon as I'd gotten the door open. "Still up for a party tonight? We'll introduce you to some cool people." He motioned with his thumb to the tall blonde guy leaning against the opposite wall of the hall.

"Uhh… yeah. Sounds good." Truthfully, I'd completely forgotten about going out with Emmett that night, I'd been so wrapped up in my fantasy girl. "Come on in, let me just get changed real quick." I opened the door further to let them in.

"Oh yeah, Edward this is my roommate Jasper. Jazz, this is the guy I almost knocked out today."

Jasper grinned. "Wouldn't be the first time you used your head as a wrecking ball," he replied. "Good to met you, Edward," said as he shook my hand.

"Edward man, you not planning on staying very long? What's with the camping gear?" Emmett asked as I closed the door behind Jasper.

"I moved cross country and didn't want to bring too much cargo. I figured I'd buy new when I got settled," said as I pulled off my shirt and headed into my room to change. I'm a guy, of course, but I'd always had people tell me that I could throw an outfit together better than most of the male species. I really didn't put any sort of special effort into it; I guess I just had an eye for not letting myself leave the house looking like an idiot. I changed into a pair of clean jeans and a black t-shirt. Simple and easy never fails.

"So, whose party are we going to?" I asked as I grabbed my keys and wallet off of the kitchen counter. Not that it really mattered much to me since Emmett and Jasper were the extent of the people I knew in this town but it made for good small talk.

"Jacob Black. You know, number 54, tight end, shoo in to be a first round draft pick for the NFL," Emmett said.

"Wow, impressive. How do you guys know him?" I asked.

"He's dating my girlfriend's roommate." Jasper replied. "He's an okay guy, a little full of himself. But then again, who wouldn't be when the wide world of sports thinks that you hung the fucking moon. I'll give it to him though; he can throw a party that's for sure."

"Okay, well, I'm ready if you guys are," I said doing the pocket pat check that all guys do; wallet, keys, cell phone, all present and accounted for.

Emmett drove Jasper and I in his massive Jeep, equipped with off-road tires spot lights on the roof. The massiveness of it fit him perfectly. We pulled up to a house that seemed a little too large, a little too extravagant for your average college student that was already teeming with people and loud music was radiating out of the open windows and doors.

Inside, the house was huge with state of the art everything. In the living room, there was a huge flat panel TV mounted on the wall. Three guys and a girl were playing Rock Band while a dozen or so people stood around watching and laughing. In the kitchen there was a group of girls standing in a close circle discussing the pros and cons of highlighting their hair.

I stayed close to Emmett and Jasper as we made our way through the crowded house. They said hello to a few people and introduced me to them as well. The people they spoke too seemed genuinely friendly, but the overall atmosphere of the party screamed "meat head jock." Intermittently around the house I could see clusters of huge guys, probably this Jacob guy's teammates by the looks of them, surrounded by giggling girls wearing too much make up and not enough clothes.

"Jasper!" a high voice called from behind us as we stepped out onto the back patio. The three of us wheeled around in time to see a small girl with short black hair launch herself at Jasper. He smiled wide as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her into the air, her short legs dangling as he swung her back and forth. She kissed him as he cradled her delicately in his arms. I felt a small pang of something, I don't know, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, as I watched them. Jealousy maybe, but not because of the girl. She was cute, but not my type. Maybe I was jealous of what they had. Kayla and I had sure as hell never been like that, and the last girl I'd had_ real_ feelings for was my high school girlfriend, Samantha._ Damn, it's been a long time_.

"Hey Edward, this is my girlfriend Alice," Jasper said as he placed the tiny girl back on her feet in front of him.

"Hi!" she bounded the few steps there were between us and flung her arms around me too.

"Wow, you're energetic," I chuckled.

"I've been called worse," she smiled and winked at me before skipping back over to Jasper's side.

Jasper leaned in close to her ear and in a hushed voice he asked, "Alice, where's B-"

"Shh! She's on her way. She's gonna do it tonight," she whispered back. Mild curiosity ran through me for a moment but was quickly forgotten when Jasper and Emmett were both clapped on the back by the largest guy I'd ever seen, even bigger than Emmett.

"Hey guys! Glad you could make it. Who's your friend?" the huge guy asked.  
"Oh Jake, this is Edward," Jasper said. "He just moved in a couple doors down from us."

"Hey Edward, I'm Jake Black. This is my house and you're welcome any time," he boomed, extending a huge hand in my direction. I shook it, and they were right, he did seem like a nice enough guy, if not a little over inflated.

"Alice, where's your hot little roommate? I need a beer pong partner," Jake asked, while scanning across the faces at the party.

"Don't worry, she'll be here." Alice replied, her face slightly crestfallen.

Jake moved on to greet more of his guests and I stood with Alice, Jasper and Emmett talking and laughing for a while. Alice and Emmett filled me in on some embarrassing Jasper stories, and Jasper threw in a few about Emmett as well. I had a feeling I'd like spending time with this group.

Suddenly Alice's mood changed, from bright and chipper to protective and hesitant. "Shit, she's here. I hope it turns out okay," she said while looking past me through the glass door. I turned along with the other two guys to see where Alice was looking.

My heart almost stopped dead when I saw that the girl that Alice was pointing at was none other than my motorcycle fantasy girl. I felt myself break out in a sweat at the sight of her. My heart started to pound and I shifted anxiously on my feet.

_What the hell is wrong with me? It's just a girl; Just an incredibly hot girl that I can't stop thinking about. _

I realized that she was talking to Jake, a look of seriousness on her beautiful face. Then it clicked. This girl, Isabella, was who Alice and Jasper had been talking about earlier. Judging by the question Jake had asked Alice, I assumed that_ she_ must be Alice's roommate, which meant that Jake was her boyfriend. I felt my stomach drop when I finally put it all together.

_Of course, she has a boyfriend! Of course! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I berated myself. But suddenly I realized that Isabella didn't look happy. In fact, she looked extremely nervous, maybe even a little scared. I immediately felt like it was my duty to protect this girl, I had to make sure that she was alright. But I had to play it cool. I didn't want my new friends to think I was a psycho.

"Hey Alice, what's the situation with that one?" I pointed to were my fantasy girl and Jake were talking inside.

"Oh sorry, Edward, we've been talking about it all night and haven't told you. That was rude of us. That's my roommate, Bella. Jake's her boyfriend and she's breaking up with him tonight," she answered. My heart started pounding again. She had a boyfriend, but not for long._ Fucking awesome_! I thought._ And I can probably get an introduction since she's friends with Alice. Yes!_ For a few short seconds I felt amazing, like everything was aligning just right for me. Then the bottom fell out when I was reminded of the nervous, almost scared look on her face as she talked to him. Bella was tiny, 5'4" at the most, delicate, breakable. Jake was, gigantic, 6'4" 6'5" maybe, solid. Could he hurt her? Of course he could, but_ would_ he? My stomach twisted into knots at the thought. Those knots pulled even tighter when I saw her take his hand to lead him upstairs.

_Shit!_ I felt much better while I could still see her, now she was somewhere in the house with this behemoth of a man, and I wouldn't know if she was okay until it was too late.

"There they go," I heard Emmett say.

"Hey Edward, you okay? You look a little tense," Jasper asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I just… is she gonna be okay? She looked pretty scared of him, just now." I tried to regain my composure before I turned back to look at them.

"Oh it's not like that," Alice chirped her voice suddenly chipper again. "She and Jake are super close, she's just afraid that he'll want to cut ties completely and not be friends. She's been stewing over it for weeks; how to end the relationship and save the friendship. She's scared to death of totally loosing him."

I relaxed a little, and settled back into conversation with Alice, Jasper, and Emmett, all the while trying to sneak glances over my shoulder to see if she'd come back downstairs._ Calm down, these are her friends. If they say she's fine, she's fine._

Alice's face froze. "Oh, here he comes." I turned around to see Jake coming back down the stairs. Alone.

BPOV

I stood on the front porch for close to half an hour before I finally decided that it was now or never. I love Jake, but more like my brother than my boyfriend. I had to do it. I chose to do it at the party because I knew he'd be in a good mood beforehand and if he was in a bad mood afterward, at least there would be plenty of booze close by. When I got back from registering for my extra class, I told Alice that I had to just do it. It probably sounds stupid but it was that guy in the Volvo that made up my mind for me. I mean, he was hot, obviously, when I saw him at the stop light. Then we wound up going into the same building and, it's not like it was some crazy coincidence or anything, but I kept feeling like he was… I don't know, trying to talk to me. And I wanted him to. I wanted to turn around and flirt with this guy, get to know him, but I couldn't._ I have a boyfriend_. Ugh… A boyfriend who'd rather have me as his beer pong partner than take me out on a date. That's why I had to do it tonight. I was too fed up with having opportunity after opportunity for real happiness pass me by. Maybe if I was lucky I might cross paths with the Volvo guy somewhere down the line and I'd get my chance again.

I gathered up as much nerve as I could before walking through the door and into Jake's party. I didn't want to ruin his good time, but I had to make sure that there wouldn't be a scene. It didn't take me long to find him, not only was he head and shoulder taller than almost all of our friends, but he was louder too. I could hear him laughing from outside. When I walked in he was arm wrestling one of the linebackers on the bar by the kitchen. I waited until he was happy with his victory before approaching him.

"Hey, Jake."

"Bella!" he exclaimed as he spun around and gathered me into his arms.

"Jake, can we talk for a minute?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Sure baby, but first I want you to meet someone." He grabbed my hand and dragged me into another room. No, I couldn't stall, I'd loose my nerve. I had to do this now.

"Jake, its kind of important. I think we should talk now." He turned and looked at me, finally noticing the grave expression on my face.

"Is everything okay, Bells?" he asked his voice suddenly very tender and concerned. Damn him being sweet to me. This would be so much easier if he were a jerk.

"Yeah, I just…" I glanced around and noticed that the room was full of people, and beyond the glass doors, Alice was watching me. Too many people, I can't stand an audience. "Can we go up to your room for a minute?"

A mischievous smile flickered over his lips momentarily, and then vanished. Did he think I wanted to have sex with him, right now? Stupid male brains, never seeing what was so obviously in front of them. "Sure, baby. Let's go upstairs."

When my back was to him, I rolled my eyes. _He's sure as hell going to be in for a rude awakening._

I took Jake's hand and lead him upstairs to his room at the end of the hall. When we were finally alone and the sounds of the party downstairs were muffled behind his door, Jake's mischievous smile returned and he reached out his hands to ensnare my waist.

"No, Jake, this is important," I said, side stepping his grasp.

"I'm sorry Bella, but I'm really horny and you look so god damn delicious," he growled.

I could feel it. My resolve was breaking. No, I had to do this. Now.

"Please, Jake. I… We… I think maybe we should see other people." I let the words fall out of my mouth like vomit. He froze in his pursuit to grab me.

"What? You're kidding right?" he asked. He looked like someone was going to burst out of the closet with a video camera at any moment, a slight smile still playing on his lips.

"Jake…" I couldn't stand any more, my knees felt weak and I sank onto the corner of his bed.

"You're serious." It wasn't a question. More like a statement of fact.

I could feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes and I buried my face in my hands. "I love you, Jake, you know I do. Its just not the same as it was before." Sobs ripped through my chest, but fought to keep the tears back.

"Bella, its okay," he whispered as he sank onto the bed beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I totally understand."

"You do?" I asked, dumbfounded.

He sighed, "Yeah, I do. I love you too, but you're right its… different now. Don't get me wrong, I still think you're hot," he laughed and smiled down at me at that. I elbowed him in the ribs and managed to crack a small smile. "But we became more like just friends a long time ago."

"If you knew, why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I love you so much and I'd never want to hurt you. I'd rather us keep going on the path that we were on than break your heart." He brushed away the one tear that escaped down my cheek with his thick fingers.

"I'm sorry, Jake," I whispered. He drew me closer to him and held me for a long moment. "So, what now?" I asked after what seemed like an eternity.

"We go downstairs and enjoy ourselves. You're a single woman now, Bella, you should act like one. But mark my words, any guy ever so much as look at you wrong and he'll have me to answer to." He gave my shoulder a tight squeeze.

"And I might claw the eyes out of any girl who treats you badly," I replied, smiling up at him.

"Come on, Bells. You're still the best pong partner I've ever had, we have to defend our title," he said as he stood up and offered me his hand.

"Give me just a minute alone, okay? Then I'll take on anyone who challenges us." I winked at him.

" 'Kay, but don't be too long. We've got a bunch of people to decimate." He kissed my hand before slipping through the door and closing it again behind him.

I sat very still for a while. Had that actually just happened? We hadn't fought, we weren't mad at each other, everything I'd been afraid of hadn't happened. Slowly, very slowly, a smile crept across my face as the realization that I was officially single again sunk in. I jumped up from the bed, suddenly excited and almost skipped out of the room. I bounded down the stairs and ran almost directly into Alice at the foot of the stairs.

"Wow, I guess it went well?" she asked, assessing the smile on my face.

"That's the understatement of the century. We're great, he totally understood and agreed. I'm single and ready to mingle," I laughed. "I know that was lame, but you know what I mean. I need a drink, I've got some catching up to do." She hooked my arm in hers and walked me outside to the keg.

"Well Miss Newly single, there's a really hot guy you've got to meet."

* * *

**Alright! Two Chapters in one night! Any suggestions as to where it should go from here? I'm open to anything!**

Musical inspiration for this chapter is I'm not Over by Carolina Liar. (/watch?vu3GmxgJeg48) It doesn't exactly fit, but it keeps coming to mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for all of the positive responses so far, I really appreciate all of the feedback. PLEASE keep it coming! Hooray for drunk Bella in this chapter, lol :)**

* * *

EPOV

I watched as Jake came downstairs. His expression was odd for someone who'd just been dumped by their girlfriend. Was he_ smiling_? Something couldn't be right. Emmett seemed to have noticed too.

"What's he so happy about?" he asked.

"Alice, maybe you should go check on her," Jasper said.

"Jesus guys, give the girl a second to breathe! I'll go check on her in a minute," Alice snapped. "She's a big girl, she can handle it."

The seconds slipped by like they were covered in glue, each one sticking to the others and dragging them down, slower and slower. My heart thumped erratically, my palms were slick with perspiration, as I watched Jake's huge frame lumber around the party laughing and high-fiving various people. He even stopped once to talk to some tall blonde. I watched as his eyes roamed hungrily over her long body and he leaned in to brush a lock of her hair behind her shoulder. I felt a growl slowly rise in my chest._ Where was she?_ I thought, anxiously.

"Fine, you babies, I'll go check on her," Alice exclaimed. "Honestly, it's like us girls can't take care of our damn selves, guys always have to send_ somebody_ to check on us, ugh…" she grumbled as she flung open the sliding glass door and trudged inside. She had just reached the staircase when she was nearly bowled over by the gorgeous brunette bounding down to meet her.

_Finally, I can breathe again_, I thought._ She's okay._ Better than okay by the looks of it. She too was smiling, a look of sheer excitement on her beautiful face.

_God, she really lights up a room…_

I watched as she threw her head back to laugh at something she'd said to Alice, exposing her long, slender neck. I could feel my mouth starting to water as the desire to press my lips against that beautiful neck bubbled within me. Alice linked arms with her and started to steer her out to where we were still standing watching the scene through the wall of glass.

Alice slid the door back and I immediately heard her laughter. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach at the sound.

"Bella, this is our new friend Edward. Edward, this is my roommate and best friend Bella," Alice offered.

_Play it cool, keep it together. Don't make a complete ass of yourself. _

I turned slightly to look at her straight on. I couldn't help the crooked smile that crept across my mouth when I was finally able to truly marvel at the beauty of her face up close. She had a tiny dimple in her left cheek and a small freckle just over the right side of her perfectly bowed lips. _So kissable…_

She was still recovering from her latest fit of laughter when I extended my hand towards her. Her eyes turned from Alice to me, and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She narrowed her eyes before smiling and taking my hand.

"Volvo guy," she said a slight hint of playful giddiness still in her voice.

_Holy shit, she remembers me!_

"Biker chick," I countered._ Smooth, real smooth._

"You guys know each other?" Alice asked, raising one eyebrow quizzically.

"We're… acquainted," she said, her face suddenly a little bit coy. "But we haven't officially met yet," she blushed.

_She is unbelievably cute. Is this really happening?_

"Until now," I said squeezing her fingers ever go gently in my hand.

"Until now," she repeated, as she tucked a piece of her silky looking hair behind her ear.

We stood there, hand in hand for a beat longer than what would normally be socially acceptable, and our hesitation did not go unnoticed by the people around us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice exchange a glance with Jasper and Emmett, but I didn't care. For the briefest of moments, my eyes were locked in her brown ones; warm and soft with subtle hints of gold.

"Oookay," Alice interrupted. "So, what happened?"

"What?" Bella asked, suddenly snapping back to reality and dropping her hand from mine. "Oh, Jake…yeah, I just told him that I felt like things had cooled off between us now and that we should see other people. He agreed and everything was fine. He actually told me that I should start acting like a single woman," she laughed again, a slight flush filling her cheeks.

"Who'd have thought he'd take it so well?" Emmett asked.

"I know, right? Well, by the looks of things, he's already moved on," she giggled as she looked over Jasper's shoulder into the house, to where Jake was still talking to the blonde. "Good, guess that means I shouldn't feel guilty for flirting with anyone here tonight." Her eyes flickered up to meet mine again, and just as quickly, fell away.

"Bella, I'm three drinks in, we need to get you caught up," Alice chimed, and dragged my brown eyed beauty off towards the keg.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" Emmett asked when they were out of earshot.

"What was what?" I replied, feigning ignorance.

"Between you and Bella. Dude, she's been single for all of five seconds!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, but I couldn't suppress the smirk that caused the corners of my mouth to twitch.

"Yeah, okay," he scoffed back.

BPOV

Alice linked her arm with mine again and towed me off across the yard to where the keg was being iced in an oversized trashcan.

"So,_ that's_ the Volvo guy?" she asked.

"Yeah," I sighed despite myself.

"Shit, I love Jasper but Edward is_ hot_. I don't blame you at all for breaking up with Jake for him."

"I didn't break up with Jake_ for_ him, and you know it." I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe not exactly, but you wouldn't mind seeing the backseat of that Volvo, now would you? Hell, if I were single, I wouldn't either," she laughed.

"Alice! I'm filing that little comment away for future blackmail material," I exclaimed, slapping her on the shoulder.

"What? I can look as long as I don't touch. And I wouldn't think about touching now that he's unofficially yours."

"Domestic or import?" I asked when we reached the keg, and started pumping the tap.

"Domestic."

"That just means it takes twice as much to get you half as drunk," I quipped, and then took a long drag from my cup, nearly emptying it.

"You're trying to change the subject, Bella. Are you gonna pursue something with Edward or not?" she pressed.

"Alice, can I just be single for one night?"

"Well, you do what you want. I'm just saying that you should take advantage while you still can. A guy like that probably won't be on the market for very long. Case in point…" she trailed off and I turned to see what she was looking at.

As if it were happening right on cue, I turned to see a cute blonde slide in next to where Edward and the guys were standing. I watched as she flipped her hair, and touched his forearm with her manicured fingers. I felt my insides churn involuntarily. My only relief was the fact that he looked entirely uninterested by her obvious attempts to gain his attention. At one point he even shifted his eyes from her to me across the yard, and smiled. My heart skipped a beat, and I could see the girl turn her head to see what he was looking at. Her expression changed from sweet and adoring to cold and bitchy almost immediately. With another flip of her hair, she pranced inside to find another victim.

"You know what, Alice, I think you're right," I said with relief that she bimbo had moved on. I refilled my cup and walked back towards the patio.

"That's my girl. Go get 'em."

I strode confidently across the yard, eager to take the place the blonde had left vacant at Edward's side. He seemed a little surprised when I came to stand next to him, close enough that our arms would touch any time either of us would move. I slipped easily into their conversation already in progress, and I was glad to see that Edward seemed to already have my closest friend's seal of approval. I'd known Alice since high school, and we met Jasper and Emmett at orientation when we were freshmen and they, in addition to Jake, were the people I cared most about in the world. I know that they had all liked Jake well enough, but they hadn't taken to him like they seemed to have with Edward. I always got the impression that Emmett and Jasper merely tolerated him for my benefit.

Three more beers later and the five of us were still laughing and joking. Edward had continued to drink and the physical proximity between us seemed to be melting away with each sip. Even though I was buzzed, I couldn't deny the little shivers that ran up my spine every time his skin came into contact with mine.

Suddenly, the door slid open again and Jake appeared at my side.

"Ready to decimate the challengers?" he whispered in my ear, his hand resting lightly on my lower back. To an outsider it would have appeared that Jake and I were still together. Had I been sober, I might have shaken off his touch, told him that we needed to establish some new boundaries, but I was past that point.

"Bring 'em on!" I hooted. Even at this point in my drunkenness, I felt that my reaction was a little over the top and embarrassing. I glanced over at Edward, who seemed a little bit tenser in Jake's presence, but I pushed it out of my mind. _I'm probably just imagining it._

"Lets do this!" Jake shouted as he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a table set up for beer pong. Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Edward moved closer to watch. _No, Edward definitely looks a little pissed. Why?_

"Jake, do you honestly think this little girl is gonna beat us?" asked the huge guy across the table. He was wearing his football team warm-up sweats and a t-shirt with his number splashed all over it. _Very subtle, douche bag. _

"Ortiz, you're new so I'll let Bella show you her skills herself. You'll be eating your words soon enough." Jake bellowed out another hearty laugh, and slapped me on the ass. _Okay, he's gonna have to stop doing that. _I instinctively glanced over at Edward again and there seemed to be a vein visibly pulsing in the side of his neck.

"You're up, Bells." I unlocked my eyes from Edward's exquisite face, and my competitive side took over.

We started to play and I sank every shot, all the while sipping on my own drink. We'd knocked out five teams before I realized that I'd lost count of how many drinks I'd had. Someone called my name and I wheeled around to find out who it was, only to find the yard around me spinning. I had to grip the side of the table for support to keep myself upright.

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice asked her cool hand tight on my elbow.

"Yeah, fine," I chuckled.

"Maybe you should slow down a little."

"Honestly, Al, I'm fine. I've got it totally under control."

I did feel fine. It was that awesome drunken feeling where nothing mattered and the ground, however hard it may be, felt squishy under your feet, everything was funny and everyone was attractive. But a few more drinks and I'd definitely be off the deep end, and I knew it.

I caught sight of Edward talking with Jasper. _God, he's gorgeous. If he asked, I'd totally go home with him tonight. Mmm… I bet he'd be really awesome in bed. I bet he's big too. Oh yeah_. I licked my lips at the thought_. No! _I shook my head, hard. What the hell was I thinking? I didn't know this guy, and I was definitely _not_ a one night stand kind of girl. I had to keep those kinds of thoughts out of my head before they got me in trouble.

Suddenly I felt the slight sting as something hit my cheek, and I saw a ping pong ball roll down my chest, onto the table in front of me, and then bounce onto the ground. I looked up to see Jake grinning evilly from the other side of the table. I grinned back and went to retrieve the ball from the ground to throw back at him.

I don't exactly know what happened after that. I remember bending down and reaching for the ball as it rolled across the patio. I remember starting to stand up to wing the ball back and Jake. The next thing I knew I was lying face down on the ground, sharp pains radiating from my knees and palms.

"Jesus Christ, Bella. Are you okay?" Alice was suddenly at my side again.

"Yeah, fine. Totally fine," I was trying to play off the fact that I had just completely busted it in front of my friends. I tried to get up but my knees throbbed too much to put pressure on them. "Guys, little help?"

I felt my arm being pulled around a pair of strong shoulders, and I was then hoisted to my feet. My surroundings spun and surged again. I closed my eyes and let my head rest against the neck of whoever was supporting me for a moment.

"Bella, I think you need to lie down," he whispered, his lips softly brushing against my ear. The voice was soft and velvety, it made my knees weak and I felt his arm tighten around my waist. I opened my eyes to see who was holding me and the most beautiful face was mere inches from mine.

"Edward?" my mind seemed cloudy.

"Yeah Bella, I've got you. Don't worry," he soothed.

I looked down to check myself, only to find that the front of my shirt and the knees of my jeans were streaked with dirt. I grimaced.

"I'm dirty," I said, frowning.

"Yeah, but its okay. We'll get you cleaned up."

"I'm a dirty girl," I blushed. So did Edward.

"Lets get you home, dirty girl" he chuckled, and scooped me into his arms. The last thing I remember was feeling strangely safe and comfortable as he carried me through the party, and out the front door.

EPOV

It took everything I had in me to resist the urge to pull Bella back as Jake dragged her away from our circle to play beer pong with him. It took even more self control to resist punching him in the face when I saw him smack her roughly on her perfect, supple ass.

_Calm, she's not yours. Chill out…_

We moved closer to watch their game and, I had to admit, I was rather impressed by the accuracy of her shots. The meat head jock who'd mocked her for being a girl was quickly knocked down a few pegs. They played round after round, beating every team that challenged them. Though Bella only had to drink a few times when the other team sank a shot, she kept a steady nurse going on her own drink, sending Jake to refill her cup every time it was empty.

She trash talked more with every drink. _She definitely is a pistol, I like that._

"If there are no more challengers, I guess that means Bella and I are still the reigning champions!" Jake bellowed.

Bella turned around at the sound of her name, and gripped the table for support as her knees went weak beneath her. Alice was at her side instantaneously, gripping her elbow to help keep her upright.

She assured Alice that she was fine, but we could all look at her and tell that she was past gone. I watched as Jake tossed a ping pong ball at her, hitting her hard on the cheek. I had to suppress the urge to teach him some manners for the third time that night. I watched her bend down to retrieve the ball. I blinked and she was on the ground, her legs and arms splayed in all directions from her fall.

"Jesus Christ, Bella. Are you okay?" Alice asked as she crouched at her side, trying futilely to pull Bella to her feet. "Guys, little help?"

I felt a surge of electricity spur me forward, my need to protect her and keep her safe overtaking me. I stepped in front of Jasper and Emmett, and pulled Bella's arm around my shoulders.

Once I'd gotten her to her feet she rested her feverish forehead against my neck with her eyes closed. I couldn't help by take in the scent of her hair as if brushed against my face. _Even like this, she smells fantastic. _

"Edward?" she asked, her beautiful brown eyes fluttering open to meet my gaze.

"Yeah Bella, I've got you. Don't worry," I said in my most soothing voice. Her pink lips curled into a soft smile, and she glanced down to check her clothes. Her smile disappeared when she noticed the dirt streaking her shirt and jeans.

"I'm dirty," she frowned.

"Yeah, but its okay. We'll get you cleaned up."

"I'm a dirty girl." I gulped. _Maybe in more ways than one_

"Lets get you home, dirty girl" I said, a million inappropriate thoughts racing through my head as I hoisted her into my arms and carried her through the party and out the front door with Emmett, Jasper and Alice close on my heels.

"I'll drive her home, there's no way she can make it home on her own like this," Emmett said.

I pulled Bella into my lap in the backseat and Alice climbed in after us, her small hand gently patting Bella's legs in comfort. Emmett started the engine and took off toward the girl's apartment. Bella lay limp against my chest, her head nuzzled lightly against my neck, her arms still draped softly around my shoulders. I enjoyed the feeling of her in my arms, the soft texture of her soft skin against mine, the way her body seemed to fit perfectly against mine. Before I knew it, and much too soon, we were pulling up in front of a row of townhouses.

"Edward, will you help me get her upstairs to bed?" Alice asked as I climbed out of the car with Bella still cradled in my arms.

"Of course," I answered. I followed Alice inside and up the stairs to Bella's bedroom. Alice flicked on a lamp by the bed to bathe the room in a soft warm light. Her room contained a queen sized bed with a soft light green comforter spread across it, a small desk in front of the window, and a dresser with a large mirror on top of it. All around the room were mementoes from her life; soccer trophies from high school, pictures of her parents, pictures of her and her friends. I gently laid her down on her bed, and Alice went to work on removing her shoes and socks.

"Thank you so much, Edward. I really appreciate it, and I'm sure she does too," she said and she pulled me into a tight hug.

"No problem. Hey, let me give you my number, will you call me in the morning so I know she's okay?"

"Absolutely, that's really sweet of you." She wrote my cell phone number down on a pad of paper on Bella's desk. "I'll call you in the morning, thanks again," she said before turning her back on me and sliding onto the bed next to Bella.

I trumped back downstairs and out the front door where Jasper and Emmett were waiting against the side of the Jeep.

* * *

**That whole scene of Bella falling and the dirty girl comment, yeah... that happened to me. lol. **

**Musical inspiration for this chapter is Control by MuteMath.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, here's my first attempt at a little, tiny, baby lemon. Sorry this chapter is a little bit shorter than the others, it was written totally on the fly. I know where I want to go with this, just not sure how to get there. Send your suggestions my way!! **

**Btw, the reviews are fan-fucking-tastic. I love you guys so much**

* * *

BPOV

I was dreaming. In my dream it was dark, and I was lying against the soft black leather of a backseat of a car. There was a silhouette of another person, a man with strong broad shoulders, in the darkness next to me. He leaned in, brushed my hair back, and began peppering my neck with feather light kisses. Suddenly, there was a car parked opposite us with its headlights on, blinding me. I kept my eyes closed until I realized that the headlights were actually the sunlight streaming through the blinds of my window. I felt awful; my head was pounding and there was a distinct ache in both of my knees and palms. I tried to concentrate to fit together the missing pieces of the previous night.

I'd definitely broken it off with Jake that I was sure of. I'd come face to face with my Volvo guy._ Edward…_ I definitely remembered his face too. I remember playing beer pong with Jake; the rest was a little hazy.

How did I get home? I concentrated harder to piece together the fragmented memories in my head. My concentration kept being interrupted by the growing sting on my palms, and then it hit me._ Oh god, I totally busted my ass in front of Edward._ I groaned at the memory. Could anything more embarrassing have happened to me? I tried to remember the rest of the night but it only came back in flashes; Edward holding me up, the ride home in Emmett's jeep with my head resting on something hard and warm, Alice talking to someone in my room._ Did Edward carry me up here?_ There was no possible way this could get much worse; I break up with my boyfriend and meet an incredible guy on the same night, only to make a complete ass of myself in front of said guy and ruin everything! I wanted to curl up and die, I was so angry at myself for letting it get so out of control.

There was a soft knock on my bedroom door before Alice peeked her head in.

"Oh, good you're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked as she came over to sit on the edge of my bed beside me. Before I could answer she handed me two Tylenol and a glass of water. "You don't really have to answer," she said with a knowing smile as I swallowed the pills.

"I haven't passed out in god knows how long,_ of course_ I choose last night to do it again," I grumbled.

"Well, technically you didn't pass out. You fell asleep. Of course you fell asleep after you fell flat on your face and Edward had to carry you out to Emmett's car. He'll be wondering how you are this morning, by the way," she said.

"Emmett? Why?" I was confused.

"No dumb ass, Edward! He wanted me to call him this morning so that he knew you were okay. But I think I'll let you do it," she smirked.

"Why? He probably thinks I'm pathetic. Shit,_ I_ think I'm pathetic." I buried my face in my pillow and groaned.

"_Why_? Because you'd probably be too embarrassed to talk to him again if I didn't give you a little push."

"Alice, come on. Just let me wallow." The pillow was still pressed tightly against my face.

"No, don't be ridiculous. Anyone could see that the chemistry between you and Edward was unreal. You'd be a complete idiot to let something like that go over something so trivial. Who hasn't gotten drunk and done something they're embarrassed about? Hell, it'll be a story to tell the grandkids if nothing else." She pulled the pillow away from my face and laughed.

"Already planning on what embarrassing stories you're going to tell my grandkids?" I quipped.

"Oh, I've got a few choice anecdotes stashed away for just such an occasion." She grabbed my hand as she sprang up from the bed and attempted to haul me up with her. "Just call him, Bella. You'll regret it if you don't."

I thumped my feet on the floor as I begrudgingly sat up in silent agreement with Alice._ Why does she always have to be right?_ She placed a quick kiss on my cheek before tossing a note pad into my lap and bouncing out of my room, closing the door behind her. On the top page of the pad was Edward's name and number written in Alice's bubbly script.

_She's right, you know. I'm sure he's been embarrassed a time or two; there's nothing to be afraid of. Plus, at least he likes you enough to carry you up to bed._ I sighed. I couldn't deny the fact that I'd hate myself if I didn't at least call him; after all, he was the one who wanted me to. The least I could do was oblige his request after he and Alice had taken such good care of me. I folded my legs underneath myself on the bed and sat for a long while holding my cell phone in one hand and his phone number in the other. But I just couldn't bring myself to dial.

Being the coward that I am, I decided to text him instead._ It's just after 10, he might not be awake yet. I don't want to wake him,_ was my justification.

I flipped open the keyboard and tapped out a quick message.

Hey- Its Bella. Wasn't sure if you'd be awake.

Thanks for taking care of me last night.

Hope you'll let me make it up to you sometime.

There. I'd done my part, and left it open-ended. At this point it would be up to him if we talked again.

EPOV

I knew I was dreaming, but I didn't care.

I was carrying Bella up to her room just as I had last night but Alice wasn't there and Bella was awake. I laid her down on her bed and she pulled me down with her, clutching with frantic hands to the front of my shirt. I climbed on top of her, and braced myself on my arms planted on either side of her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself up to me, her luscious lips roaming wildly over mine. She moaned into my mouth, and I pulled back to look into her eyes. Her lips were deliciously swollen from our kiss and were pulled into a devilish smile.

She moved her hands from my neck and slipped them under my arms, around my back and under my shirt. I groaned at the feeling of her finger nails against my skin as she slid her hands downward.

"I told you I was a dirty girl, Edward," she said, her voice low and husky before pulling me into another passionate kiss. This time, her tongue lapped along my bottom lip, begging for admittance to my mouth. I opened it to allow her in, my tongue meeting hers when she crossed the threshold of our mouths. I ran my hand down her side, barely brushing the rise of her breast beneath her thin fabric of her t-shirt. I moved my hand under her shirt and across the smoothness of her stomach gently kneading the skin as I slid upward towards my goal. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and dug her heels into my ass pulling our hips together with electric friction. She moaned into my mouth again at the contact of the tightness in my pants against her warm center.

"Please, Edward, please. I need you. Now. I need you so bad," she breathed as I moved my mouth from her lips to her neck, gently sucking and licking the tender flesh below her ear. Just then I felt a strange sensation against my leg, almost like a vibration. It disappeared as quickly as it came only to reappear again a few seconds later._ What the hell?_

I opened my eyes and I was no longer lying on top of Bella; I was on my back on the air mattress in my bedroom covered up by a sleeping bag. In the pocket of my jeans that I hadn't bothered to remove the night before, my cell phone vibrated again._ Shit…_ I groaned.

Once I had my phone in my hand, my bleary eyes could barely make out the words on the screen: 1 New Text Message. I flipped it open, fearing that Kayla still hadn't taken the hint that I didn't want to have any further contact with her, only to be very pleasantly surprised.

Hey- Its Bella. Wasn't sure if you'd be awake.

Thanks for taking care of me last night.

Hope you'll let me make it up to you sometime.

_Pulled out of a hot dream about Bella_, by Bella_, what are the odds?_ I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and thought about what to say back. I sat up; a horrible squeaking sound of rubber against rubber rang out in the mostly empty room as I shifted my weight on the air mattress. _If she wants to make it up to me, I definitely know how she can do it._

I flipped open my phone to text her back:

I'll take care of you anytime.

If you really want to make it up to me, I know how you can do it.

How are you at interior design? - E

A few long minutes ticked by before my phone buzzed again.

Pretty good, I guess.

Why do you ask?

I need new furniture.

You should come shopping with me.

This place could use a woman's touch. -E

I hit send and waited again. Only about a minute passed this time before my phone signaled a new message.

Sure.

You'll have to pick me up; my bike is still at Jake's.

I grumbled at the mention of her now _ex_-boyfriend.

Not a problem.

Pick you up in an hour? -E

Just a few seconds passed this time.

Great.

See you soon.

_Score! _I jumped up and rushed into the shower, still in complete disbelief that I was going to be spending the afternoon with Bella. This was my chance to really get to know her, and I absolutely could _not_ blow it.

BPOV

Edward and I texted back and forth for a little while. Interior design? Was he actually asking me to go furniture shopping with him? A little strange for a first date, but I could go with it. _Shut up, it's not a date. _

Date or not, I only had an hour to get ready. For me, that was really an issue, I'd always been pretty low maintenance. But today was going to be a different story. This was my chance to remake his first impression of me. I wasn't a drunken idiot; I was a smart, sophisticated woman. _Smart maybe…_ Who was I kidding? Sophisticated and me were not well acquainted. I was just such a "guy's girl"; laid back, easy going, nothing really got under my skin. It's always best to just be yourself, but I was suddenly feeling like "just Bella" wouldn't quite cut it. But in the end I decided that it was simply too exhausting to try to be someone that I'm not, and plain ol' me won out.

After I'd showered and dried my hair, I pulled on my favorite pair of jeans that hugged my ass tightly and had rips in both knees, and a plain black t-shirt that stopped just an inch or so above my waist band, leaving just the tiniest bit of skin exposed. Once my black Converses were on my feet and I'd applied a little bit of powder and mascara I was ready to go. No sooner had I approved of my overall appearance, there was a knock on the front door. I tried to rush downstairs to answer it before Alice could, but I was too late.

"Well hey, Edward. What brings you here?" she turned to look at me, an exaggerated smile on her face.

"Bella's gonna help me pick out some furniture for my place. It's pretty sparse right now," he replied. My heart skipped a beat when he flashed a crooked smile up to where I stood half way down the stairs. "Ready to go?"

"You bet," I said a little too exuberantly, and skipped down the stairs. _Reign it in, you don't scare the poor boy away._

"Bells, we're hanging out at Jasper and Emmett's tonight. Edward, that means you too," she called as we were already out the door and walking towards his car.

"We'll be there," I called back as Edward opened the passenger door for me and I slid into the soft leather of the front seat. _This seems strangely familiar…_

* * *

**Yeah... I'm a grown woman still feel a little uncomfortable writing lemons. So this was me dipping my toe in. Believe me there's a whole lot of steamy material in my head, its just a matter of writing it out. **

Musical inspiration for this chapter is Heart Attack by Low vs. Diamond.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh man... if only all shopping trips could be like this...**

* * *

BPOV

Conversation with Edward was as easy as breathing. He gave me a recap of his almost 22 years on the planet in the 30 minute drive from my house to Turner's furniture on the north side of town:

He was an only child. His dad was a world renowned doctor who struck it big when he made some breakthrough in drug research. His mom owned a small interior decorating business that catered to well off clientele. His favorite color was green. His favorite food was his mom's homemade chicken soup. In high school he's played baseball and lacrosse, was runner up for prom king his senior year, and had broken up with his girlfriend right after graduation because she was moving to California and didn't want to deal with a long distance relationship. He didn't have any irrational phobias but wasn't a big fan of spiders. His shoe size was 13. He couldn't stand whiney emo music, fake boobs, peas, or slow drivers. He loved horror movies and watched Family Guy every night before he goes to bed. He liked all kinds of music but preferred alternative rock. His first concert was when he was 15; an older friend drove him to Seattle to see Nine Inch Nails after winning tickets in a radio contest. He used to wear glasses until, at said concert, they were knocked off and broken and he insisted on switching to contacts thereafter. His sign was Cancer and his birthday was in a little more than a week.

When we pulled up in front of the furniture store I had run out of rapid fire questions for the time being, and I think he was probably relieved to have a break from my interrogation, though he swore he thought my enthusiasm was cute. I had to suppress the urge to do a happy dance that he thought I was cute. _Honestly, I'm such a _girl_ sometimes. _

We were greeted at the door by an overly eager salesgirl with a plastic smile and frumpy pleated front khakis.

"Welcome to Turner's, is there anything I can help you find today?" she breezed. Though she was a walking cliché, I felt a tinge of annoyance when her smile grew a few extra inches after her eyes gave Edward a quick once over.

"Well," he stooped a bit to read her name tag, "Jennifer, I need an entire house-full, basically; Living room, bed room, the whole nine yards." I choked back a giggle at the delight on the poor girl's face when he said her name.

"What's your preferred style?" she asked.

He turned to me and said, "I don't know, Bella. What's my preferred style?"

"Hmm… modern, but casual. Leather and dark finished wood, I think," I replied after a moment's consideration.

"Yes, exactly what she said!" he beamed. "Do you have anything that fits those criteria, Jennifer?"

She giggled before asking us to follow her through the showroom. As we walked, I felt Edward's hand resting gently on my lower back, and I smiled at the thought of what the two of us must look like to an outside observer.

"This is our Metro Living bedroom collection, as you can see it has the dark finish on the wood, and leather upholstery on the headboard," she said as she motioned to the large sleigh bed to her right.

"Bella, care to test it out?" he asked, smirking sarcastically at me.

"Isn't it a little early to be inviting me into your bed, Edward?" I shot back with an equally sarcastic grin.

"It's never too early," he retorted and motioned to the bed with a flourish of his arm.

I laughed and conceded temporary defeat to his wit, before plopping down on the bed with a bounce.

"I think we could use a few minutes to mull it over, Jennifer," he said with a wink to the salesgirl.

"Oh, absolutely." Her face fell a little at his dismissal. "I'll be right over there if you need anything." She turned on her heel and sauntered away.

"What do you think?" he asked as he made himself comfortable on the bed; his legs crossed at the ankles and his hands folded behind his head.

"It's nice, very manly," I said as I lay down next to him, taking the same position.

"You're leading this expedition; if it gets your seal of approval then I'll buy it, mattress and all."

I rolled over and propped myself up on my elbow to look at him. I had the sudden urge to be boldly flirtatious. "Don't you think that there should be a few more tests before you make a final decision?"

"What kind of tests?" he asked as he looked up at me with a smile.

"Well, there's the bounce test, of course. It's really important to know how loud the springs are gonna squeak when you're in the throws of passion." My lips curved into a grin when I saw his eyes widen in surprise.

"Good call. Should I climb on top of you then and we'll give it a whirl?" _Oh he's good._

"I guess you could. It _would_ suit our purposes but I prefer to be on top," I winked at him this time, and his eyes bulged a little again.

It was my turn to be surprised when he rolled over onto his hands and knees and began a slow crawl across the mattress towards me, a wicked grin playing across his perfect mouth. _Oh shit, I've really gotten myself in trouble now._ I fell back onto my back and he slid into position hovering over me, one knee planted between my legs for balance. I gulped. He was close enough that I could smell him; he smelled like Irish Spring and leather, and new car smell rolled into one delicious package. His green eyes were dazzling, with soft creases around the edges from years of laughter. From where he was pressed against me, I could feel that his muscles were rock hard. _God, please don't let me faint, please don't let me faint. Must remember to breathe. _I was momentarily distracted by the vision of perfection above me when Edward suddenly gave one unbelievably hard thrust against me. I gasped at the feeling of his leg coming into contact with my core with such force. For a split second he looked a little dazed too, his mouth hanging open and his lids lowered. His expression quickly returned to the familiar smug grin before he spoke.

"I didn't hear any squeak at all, did you?" _Definitely have to breathe. Shit shit shit, he's good. He's really fucking good. Quick, think of something clever…_

"Yeah, I think you're right. The frame seems pretty heavy though. It might be pretty loud when it's banging against the wall." _Ha! His eyes bulged again! _

"Good point, but I think my neighbors will just have to deal with the noise." And with that, he rolled off of me and jumped off of the bed, leaving me in a daze. I watched as he walked over to where Jennifer was standing behind a counter and began talking animatedly. _He's got a little more pep in his step now, doesn't he? I'm really starting to like that smug grin of his. _I sighed to myself as I sat up. In the matter of an hour I'd gone from Edward being a practical stranger to testing out beds with him like we were a voyeuristic couple.

I saw him point at the bed that I was still sitting on and over at a light brown leather sofa set on the other side of the room. He winked at me when we made eye contact across the showroom floor. I had to will my heartbeat to behave, because it had taken to speeding up dramatically whenever our eyes met. _Wait, stop to think for a second. You met this guy YESTERDAY, Bella. _I chastised myself. _Who cares? I'm a grown ass woman, I'm not a naïve little girl. He's not going to do anything I don't want him to._ I argued back at myself._ And I can think of a couple things that I want him to do. _

"Bella, you ready to go? Or do you want to try out a few more models? I'm game if you do, but I feel like I should tell you that I already paid for this one." _Again with that smile, ugh!_

"Well what's the point of shopping if you've already made your purchase?" I quipped back.

"Good point. Let's go get your bike so we can be back at my place when they deliver this stuff." He reached out his hand to me to help me up off of the bed. I took it; he pulled me up and didn't let it go as we walked out of the store.

"How much did you spend?" I asked.

"Too much probably, but that's what my good friend Visa is for."

I laughed, as he opened the passenger side door of his car for me again. We drove another 30 minutes or so as I fired more questions at him.

His favorite ice cream flavor was rocky road. During the state championship lacrosse game when he was a junior he broke two fingers in the first five minutes and played the entire game only to score the game winning point. He had been in a fraternity at his college in Washington but had gone inactive upon his transfer to FSU. His cousin Sarah had gone on a blind date with Ashton Kutcher back before he was famous.

We pulled up in front of Jake's house where my bike was parked safely next to the driveway.

"I'll follow you back to your place; we can drop your bike off and head over to my place to meet the delivery people. Is that okay?" he asked before I exited the car.

"Of course. Interior design doesn't stop at the shopping trip. I have to make sure everything is Feng Shui-ed correctly." I winked at him. _Two can play the winking game._

EPOV

Bella fired question after question at me, she said it was like a getting to know you crash course. For every question she shot at me I countered with questions of my own.

She, like me, was an only child. Her parents had divorced before her first birthday, but reconciled 8 years later and remarried. She grew up here and was anxious to leave after graduation. She learned how to ride her motorcycle from a guy she dated briefly in high school who was seen as the resident "bad boy". Also like me, her favorite color was green. She was president of the drama club in high school, and had originally been accepted to FSU on a partial theater scholarship before switching her major to art history half way through her sophomore year. She couldn't stand people who used words incorrectly, girls who let their thongs hang out of their pants on purpose, bad breathe, and catchy commercial jingles that easily get stuck in your head. Her favorite food was spinach lasagna from a local restaurant. She loved football even before she'd dated Jake. She had an incredibly competitive streak, a bit of a hot temper and the ability to cuss like a sailor.

She kept apologizing to me for asking so many questions but I actually found her interest to be really endearing and sweet. I couldn't believe that such an amazing girl was showing so much interest in me. Of course its not like girls never paid me any attention, its just that the girls who paid me _this much_ attention were the Kaylas of the world; generally over eager, and begging for acceptance like a lost dog.

Despite the questioning, I'd been thinking a lot about how to capture her attention in the way I really wanted it. I'd seen how Jake was with her, overt and boisterous about being "touchy-feely". _Maybe that's what she likes. She seems like a girl who doesn't play too many games, maybe beating around the bush is one of those things that she just doesn't do. _If that's how she wanted it, then that's how I'd be. I generally preferred to be more subtle; to use the natural talents I had to mentally seduce a girl before moving in for the physical kill. With Bella, it seemed I'd have to be more direct so I decided to go on the offensive. I knew what kind of implications shopping for a bed held so I figured I might play them up, hopefully, to my advantage.

The overly eager sales girl was a hurdle I hadn't foreseen. These southern people were so damn eager to please it was almost sickening. But I saw her give me the once over and grin like a Cheshire cat. I also saw the flicker of annoyance on Bella's face as she did.

"Welcome to Turner's. Is there anything I can help you find today?" she asked. I flashed her my most charming smile and leaned forward a bit to read her name tag.

"Well Jennifer," I put a little extra emphasis on her name, "I need an entire house-full, basically; Living room, bedroom- the whole nine yards."

When Bella had listed her criteria for furniture that she felt best suited me, Jennifer led us through the store to a display at the far end. As we walked I made my first bold move by resting my hand gently on her lower back. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and her perfect lips curved into a bashful smile. _Mmm… there's that dimple… _

"Bella, care to test it out?" I asked after Jennifer had given a little schpeal about the bedroom set she was showing me.

"Isn't it a little early to be inviting me into your bed, Edward?" She smiled and there was a definite mischievous glint in her eye.

"It's never too early," I countered. _Boldness seems to be working in my favor today._

She plopped down on the bed, bouncing slightly on the soft surface. I couldn't help but notice the way her breasts moved underneath her shirt. I gulped, this girl affected me like no other has in the past.

I sent Jennifer away and laid down on the bed, hoping the Bella would do the same. I told her that if the bed got her seal of approval then I'd buy it.

"Don't you think that there should be a few more tests before you make a final decision?" she asked. She was propped up on her elbow looking down at me.

"What kind of tests?"

I watched as the tiny freckle above her lip that I'd noticed the night before lifted as her amazing mouth curved up into the sexiest smile I've ever seen. "Well, there's the bounce test, of course. It's really important to know how loud the springs are gonna squeak when you're in the throws of passion."

My eyes bulged out in surprise. _Apparently she's working the bold angle today too. _I recovered from my shock as quickly as I could and upped the ante. "Good call. Should I climb on top of you then and we'll give it a whirl?"

"I guess you could. It _would_ suit our purposes but I prefer to be on top." She winked at me. _Oh she's good. _An amazing mental image of Bella, naked on top of me, riding, moaning, flickered into my head. _One step at a time, big guy. _

It was my turn to take the next step. I rolled over onto my hands and knees and slowly crawled over to her, on to her. I put one knee between her legs so that her thigh was now resting up against my crotch. That alone was almost enough to send me over the edge, but I had to hold out, push this as far as I could without blowing it.

Once I was in position on top of her, she seemed to be staring at me with glassed over eyes. I tried to think of something witty and clever to say to shake her out of whatever trance she'd fallen into, but she seemed too deep, too far gone. I had to do something bigger, better to bring her back to me. I acted without even thinking. Like I was some sort of caveman pervert, I thrust into her with everything I had. Hundreds of mental images flooded my mind in that second; Bella naked, Bella screaming, Bella moaning, Bella panting. _God!_ She let out a tiny gasp of surprise and…pleasure? I had to recover, play this off.

"I didn't hear any squeak at all, did you?" _Good save._

"Yeah, I think you're right. The frame seems pretty heavy though. It might be pretty loud when it's banging against the wall." My eyes widened again. _Oh she's really fucking good. Quick, say something!_

"Good point, but I think my neighbors will just have to deal with the noise." _Total Genius._

I'd tested my self control enough so I rolled over and jumped off the bed, and, as inconspicuously as I could, adjusted myself so that the bulge in my pants wasn't quite so obvious.

I went over to the counter where Jennifer was standing, no doubt jealously watching the entire scene that had just unfolded. I purchased the entire bedroom set, mattress and box spring, and a living room set that I'd seen from across the showroom. I didn't care if it was comfortable or expensive; all I needed was to get away from the temptation of asking Bella to test the couch's ability to support vigorous bouncing while she rode me on top. _That is how she likes it, she said so herself… _

After my furniture was bought and paid for and delivery was scheduled for later that afternoon, I went back over to her trying to act like nothing out of the ordinary had taken place between us.

I held her hand as we walked out of the store and the question barrage started again, just as enthusiastically as before. _Maybe I was over reacting; it doesn't seem to have affected her much at all. _

I drove her over to Jake's house so she could retrieve her motorcycle. It was a little weird for me to be dropping her off at her ex-boyfriend's house, no matter how good of _friends_ they were.

"I'll follow you back to your place; we can drop your bike off and head over to my place to meet the delivery people. Is that okay?" I asked before she swung her legs out of the car.

"Of course. Interior design doesn't stop at the shopping trip. I have to make sure everything is Feng Shui-ed correctly." She winked at me and hopped out. _Jesus Christ…_

Once I was alone in my car, I didn't hold back the growl that escaped my chest at the sight of her mounting her motorcycle and gripping it with her thighs the way she had when I first laid eyes on her.

* * *

**A/N: So... thoughts? And there's a picture of Edward's bed in my profile  
**

Musical inspiration for this chapter is Can't Change me by Chris Cornell


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I love when I post a chapter late at night and find my email box full of reviews and favorite alerts the next morning. You guys are awesome, thank you so so so much for all of your encouragement. **

**So... in this chapter our favorite "Not-quite-a-couple" couple get to relieve a little tension.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

EPOV

The drive from Bella's house to my apartment wasn't long, but it was almost excruciating to watch her on her bike from behind in those jeans. We were sitting at the same stop light where we first saw each other when I decided keep the flirtatious momentum going. I pulled out my cell and sent her a quick text.

Nice ass. You come here often? –E

She reached in her pocket for her phone while we waited for the light to turn. She then swiveled around on her seat and flicked me off. Her visor was lifted and I could see her smiling, so I laughed back.

Once her bike was parked and I had her back beside me in my car, the questions commenced again, but I could tell she was grasping at straws to come up with interesting things to ask me. I couldn't help but notice the sky darkening with purple-ish clouds and saying a silent prayer that everything would be brought in before the rain set in.

"You have to promise that when you see the inside of my apartment, you won't laugh at my current spread," I told her as we climbed the stairs.

"It can't be that bad," she said as I unlocked the door and held it open for her. She stepped inside and I could see the wheels in her head turning, trying to figure out what to make of my sparse living arrangement. The living room contained a folding camping chair, a card table, and a small TV on the floor. She let herself into my bedroom to see my air mattress and sleeping bag, milk crate side table, and miscellaneous boxes containing various other pieces of my life.

She bit her lip thoughtfully for a second. I could tell she was trying to camouflage a smile and choose her next words carefully. "Well, it isn't what I was expecting, but I can see the need to uhh… diversify." She couldn't hide her smile now.

"What exactly were in expecting? Whips and chains?"

"Now that you mention it, even that might be an improvement from the current state," she laughed. _Even her laugh is sexy…_

I wanted so badly to cross the distance between us and kiss her right then, her eyes locked with mine and she seemed to be beckoning me to her, but we were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. She jumped and the alluring stare she'd been giving me just a moment before was gone.

"Speak of the devil!" she went over to answer the door. I folded up the card table and chair and stowed them in the hall closet, and went to work on deflating the air mattress in the other room, while she directed the delivery men where to arrange the new furniture. After a while I came back into the living room to see that the space already looked a thousand times better.

"Jesus Christ Edward, how much shit did you buy?" she asked as along with the couches and bed, came an entertainment center, a flat screen TV, a coffee table, bedside tables, and a dresser. I was about to answer with some smart ass remark, but she was already distracted again, directing the circus of movers milling around my tiny apartment. It took well over an hour to get everything inside, but once it was finished I couldn't help at marvel at how great the space looked.

"I think we make quite a team, Bella," I said, slinging an arm casually around her shoulders. She leaned her head back against my arm to look up at me with those sparkling brown eyes.

"Pretty good, pretty good." Her eyes locked with mine again. It was like she held me in tractor beam. She was pulling me closer and closer and I was completely defenseless against it. I cupped her cheek in my hand as our lips drew closer. I was close enough that I could feel her warm breath on my lips. She closed her eyes – BAM BAM BAM!

"Edward, you home?" Emmett was shouting through the front door.

"Shit," she whispered before shrugging away from my arm and running to answer the door.

"Hey Ed- Bella? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We went shopping together. What's up?"

"Why don't you guys come on down, Alice is already there."

"Yeah, okay. We'll be down in a minute." She shut the door on Emmett with a loud bang.

She turned and smiled at me, but there was a definite air of annoyance around her. "Sorry…"

"Nothing to be sorry about," I answered, trying to get things back on track between us.

"He'll be back if we don't get down there soon." She reached out and took my hand.

_We were so close…_

I sighed, grabbed my keys and walked out the door, still hand in hand with Bella

_I'm going to KILL Emmett._

Alice, Emmett, and Jasper were sitting on the couch when Bella opened the door to their apartment without knocking.

"Yay, Bella's here! I'm starving. It's a total pizza and beer night tonight" Alice bounded over to us, noticed my hand around Bella's, and dragged Bella away into the one of the bedrooms, breaking our hold on each other.

"I don't know if beer's such a good idea for me after last night, Alice," Bella said.

"Shut up, Bells. I need to show you something," I heard her say before shutting the door behind them.

"Hey, Edward!" Jasper jumped up and high fived me. "Alice said you and Bella were decking out your place today, how'd that go?"

"Good. It looks like I live there now. I got all the essentials, plus a new TV just 'cause I wanted it." My irritation towards Emmett quickly melted away as the three of us settled into conversation about the upcoming football season.

After a few minutes, Bella and Alice came out to join us, and the pizza was delivered shortly after. Despite her initial reluctance to drink, Bella gave in after a little pressure from Alice and threw back a few beers.

Hours went by like seconds, all of us talking, laughing, drinking. Alice put on a movie, but nobody watched it. About half way through the movie, Emmett said, "This is lame. Let's play 'Never have I ever.'"

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea. Edward will get to know us all _really_ well," Alice said sarcastically

BPOV

"So that everyone is clear, you say 'Never have I ever…done something.' If you have done it, you have to drink. If you're the only one we have to hear the story. If nobody's done it, then you drink. Got it?" I said, looking at Edward.

"I've played this game before, Bella" he said.

"Okay, okay. I guess drinking games are pretty universal. I guess I'll start: Never have I ever… been bungee jumping."

"What the hell, Bella? Is this the PG rated version of this game?" Emmett griped.

"Shut up and drink, Emmett. My next one will be more up to your standards, okay?" I shot back.

"Okay, okay, my turn," Alice bounced up and down with excitement. "Never have I ever… had sex in the ocean." I drank.

"Story, Bella! You're the only one," Alice laughed.

I blushed. "It's not like you don't already know Al, so thanks for calling me out. With Jake, spring break, down at St. George Island. End of story." I really wasn't super comfortable with talking about things I'd done with Jake in front of Edward. _That's the nature of this game, I guess. _

"Moving on, never have I ever earned my red wings," Jasper announced.

"Damn right you haven't, that's disgusting," Alice laughed. **(A/N: If you don't know what that is, just google it. Fair warning, its pretty sick)**

"Edward? Emmett? Nobody?! Shit, I guess I have to drink then."

"Simmer down now, my turn," Emmett boomed. "Never have I ever… hmmm…gotta make this a good one… Never have I ever given a blow job." He smiled like he had just delivered a crushing blow.

"That's your 'good one'? Wow, Alice he really got us, didn't he?" She and I clinked our bottles together and drank.

_Edward's turn… _

"Never have I ever, umm…" _It_'s_ so cute that he's nervous. _"Never have I ever had sex with two people in the same day." Emmett drank while we all gawked at him.

"What? You know I went through a manwhore phase, I'm sorry. I'm totally reformed now mostly because you two would kick my ass if I brought home any more skanks," he laughed.

"Honestly, Em, I hope you double bagged it because you don't know where some of those girls have been," I wrinkled my nose at him. "Anyway, never have I ever made out with Jasper." I laughed as Emmett pretended to drink.

"Thanks, _Pal_," Alice playfully glared at me and took a long sip.

"Never have I ever had sex at school," she said. I drank and so did Edward. _Hmm… I'll have to get the story behind that sometime._

"Never have I ever… made out with Bella," Jasper laughed as Alice and Emmett drank.

"In all fairness Alice, you and I _did not_ make out," I laughed. Edward's face looked pleasantly surprised.

"Close enough," she remarked, blowing a kiss in my direction, causing me to laugh harder.

"Never have I ever," Emmett's words were cut off by a loud clap of thunder before the apartment went dark. "Aw, crap. Everybody stay put for a second. I've got some candles around her somewhere," he said.

I could hear Emmett lumbering around the space, banging into things and muttering curse words under his breathe. I felt a warm hand close around mine in the darkness. _Edward… _My heart started racing again at the contact. Just then, Emmett struck a match bathing the room in the dimmest light. In the faint glow I could see that Alice and Jasper had become joined at the mouth. I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight of them. I knew Alice was easily excitable and Jasper, to my knowledge, had never turned down any opportunity for sex. Emmett had a candle lit and was heading back over to where Edward and I were still sitting before he noticed them.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat with comical exaggeration and they broke apart.

Jasper had a goofy grin across his face and Alice giggled sheepishly. "Hey, uhh, Jazz, honey, would you mind helping me find something in the bedroom?" She grinned wickedly as her boyfriend.

He looked confused for a second and then realization seemed to wash over him like a tidal wave. "Oh sure, sweetheart. Let's go look for that thing you were talking about earlier." The two of them jumped up and hurried into Jasper's bedroom and shut the door.

"They do realize that the power is still out and that, that was absolute the lamest excuse they could have possibly come up with," Edward said, chuckling to himself.

"Does it look, or sound, like they care?" I said. On the other side of the door muffled moans and giggles could be heard.

"Ha ha, I guess not." Edward ran his free hand through his tousled hair, the other still gently wrapped around mine. "If you guys want to give them some privacy, we can go down to my place." As if on cue a louder moan escaped through the door.

"We heard that!" Emmett yelled. "Let's go."

He grabbed the candle, and the three of us, Edward and I still hand in hand, went back to Edward's apartment to give Alice and Jasper their space.

"Wow Edward, this place cleans up nice," Emmett marveled.

The three of us sat on the couch and continued to talk for a while. Once Edward had taken my hand, he never let his hands loose contact with my skin again for the rest of the night. As we sat on the couch with Emmett his hand was either holding mine, or gently rubbing my thigh, or tracing soft circles on my arm. His touch made me shiver and it was amazing to me how oblivious Emmett seemed to be. He never once gave a second look to how close Edward and I were sitting or the sly smiles that were exchanged between us every time our eyes met.

It had been over an hour and the power still hadn't come back on, Edward was telling a long story about something he and his friend Derek had done back in Washington, when Emmett's snores interrupted.

I laughed, "Aww… I guess little Emmie-kins is tired."

"Lets let him sleep," Edward whispered in my ear, so close that I could feel his breath on my skin and his nose against my hair. _Breathe Bella…_

I gave him an acknowledging smile and he helped me up off of the couch. He led me by the hand into his bedroom and quietly closed the door. Suddenly while enclosed in the room with him, I was unbelievably nervous. My heart was racing and my hands were trembling. _Gotta do something to break the tension. _

"If Alice doesn't surface soon, I'm not gonna have a ride home," I said, scanning the dark room to find him.

"You can always crash here. Its not like you haven't already been in my bed once before." His sexy, sarcastic voice wafted over to me from beside the window. He opened the blinds to let moonlight into the pitch black space. In the silvery beams of the moon, Edward was even more beautiful. The light made his chiseled features seem even more defined, his shoulders seem broader.

_Play it cool. I can't let him know how nervous I am. Nervous? Excited is more like it…_

"I guess I _could_ crash here. Do you have a t-shirt or something I could borrow to sleep in?" I asked, feigning innocence.

He grabbed a folded undershirt from a shelf in his closet and handed it to me without a word. _Time to be bold again, Bella. _I went into his bathroom but left the door open. I slid out of my jeans and let them fall in a pile on the floor. I pulled my t-shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor by my jeans. Even though it was darker in the bathroom than it was in the bedroom, there was just enough light that I knew he could see me. In fact, I could feel his eyes raking over my body and for that, I stood in just my bra and panties for a moment longer than I would have if I were just changing clothes normally. I pivoted on my toes so that my back was more to him, reached behind my back and unclasped my bra, letting it too fall on the floor.

EPOV

I watched her take off her clothes in the moonlight. She was so incredibly beautiful. The moonlight gave her skin a slight shimmer and her hair, _god, her hair… _She knew I was watching her, she had to know; she was teasing me. I know I shouldn't have been watching her in the first place but I just couldn't help myself. She turned so that her back was to me and unclasped her bra, letting it fall into the gathering pile at her feet. I had to stifle a groan at the sight of her naked back, her long cascading curls resting around her shoulders. She was wearing the tiniest panties that left very little to the imagination; dark blue, skin tight boy shorts, with a fair amount of her smooth ass cheeks peeking out of the bottom. She slid my shirt over her head and pulled it down. The sleeves hung down past her elbows and the bottom of the shirt was long enough to just barely cover her ass, leaving her thighs almost completely exposed. She turned around to face me, a gorgeous, dazzling smile spread across her lips.

"It's a little big, but it'll do," she said as she sashayed back into my bedroom, her hips swaying a little bit more than they normally did, not that I was complaining. She ran her fingers along my chest as she walked past me to sit on the bed. I took off my shirt and walked over to my pile of folded clothes on the floor. I could feel her eyes on me now, just as I had been watching her. I unzipped my jeans and let them fall to the ground revealing my black boxers. I contemplated putting on some shorts, but decided in favor of boldness and left my boxers to be my only sleeping attire. When I turned around, she was perched on the bed, her legs folded beneath her, her back against the headboard. I lay down next to her on my side, propped up on my elbow to look up at her.

"If I ask you something, will you be honest with me?" she asked her voice low and soft.

"I've been honest about everything else today, why stop now?" _Does she think that I've lied about something?_

"How many girls have you slept with?" She seemed almost hesitant to ask.

I thought for a second. I had told myself to remain guarded for a while here, to not let anyone in too close after everything that had happened back home, but all I wanted to do was pout my heart out to this girl. It was like she'd cast some kind of spell on me that made me act the exact opposite of how I normally would.

"If I tell you, you can't judge me too harshly. Not that I don't deserve it, but I don't think I could stand if it you thought less of me." _Did I just say that out loud?_

"Wow, that many huh?" she laughed nervously.

"Let's just say that it's more than I'm proud to admit." _Great, there go my chances with her._

Her face betrayed nothing of what was going on in her head, what thoughts she was having about me. "Like, more than 10?"

"Yeah. More than 10. I'm guessing your count isn't that high?" I ran my hand through my hair, trying to act like this line of questioning didn't utterly scare the shit out of me.

"I'm sure you've probably seen it all, then."

"I hope not," I laughed. "Despite what the numbers may lead you to believe, I have, well, had, a pretty boring sex life. Your turn, you tell me something, anything." I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. I wanted to be privy to all of her secrets.

"No judgments?" she questioned.

"Never. You can tell me anything." I could tell that the number of partners I'd had unnerved her, and I was trying desperately to gain her trust.

"This is going to sound stupid… I've never," her voice was trembling ever so slightly, "I've never had an orgasm. I mean, I _have_ but I've never had one _with_ someone." Even in the moonlight I could tell she was blushing.

"Never? Not once?" I asked, leaning in towards her. I couldn't believe it. This girl was too exquisite, any guy she chose to be with should feel honored, and he should feel that it was his duty to make sure she got hers.

"Nope, never."

"You're hooking up with the wrong guys then, Bella." I couldn't help but laugh. If she'd let me I'd make her cum so many times it would make her head spin.

"Tell me about it," she laughed.

"You're beautiful, you know that?"

"I do my best with what I've got," she smiled.

"No, I mean you're really beautiful. And sexy, and… and," I couldn't put into words how amazing she was. "Could you not tell how I had to have my hands on you tonight?"

She blushed again. "I did notice."

"C-Could I touch you now?" I felt the stupidity of my words as soon as they left my mouth. _Are you twelve, Cullen? 'Could I touch you now?' What an idiot!_

To my surprise, she slid down the bed to that she was lying on her back, my shirt riding up on her lithe body exposing a few inches of her stomach, and her eyes met mine. The look on her face was like nothing I've ever seen before; a mixture of lust and excitement. It was an invitation. Apparently I hadn't scared her as much as I'd thought.

_Relax… _

My heart was racing as I closed the distance between us and lightly pressed my lips to hers. She tasted faintly of the beer she'd been drinking earlier, but mostly like fresh fruit with a hint of mint. Her lips were soft as they parted slightly and allowed her tongue to lap gently at mine. Our tongues dueled in the sensual kiss and she knotted her fingers in my hair. I slid my hand down her body, over her soft supple breasts, and flat stomach to rest at the waistband of her panties. I pushed the fabric down her hip and she lifted her ass to allow me to slide them down her smooth legs. I ran my index finger over the smooth naked outer lips of her mound causing her to shiver at my touch. I could feel her nimble hands release my hair and begin a descent down my body, tracing every line and cut of my torso. I was suddenly extremely grateful for my borderline obsession with working out and frequent trips to the gym. Her fingers hooked around the elastic of my boxers before I pulled away from her mouth to look directly into her eyes.

"Please Bella; I want to give you what you've never had." The voice that hung in the air was hardly recognizable as my own; it was so steeped in lust and desire. "Lay back and relax." A soft whimper escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck again and pulled me back into a deep, passionate kiss.

I allowed my finger to slip between the soft folds and trace her slick warmth from top to bottom, being careful not to touch her clit directly. She gasped into my mouth as I inserted one finger into her dripping wet hole, sliding it in and out in a slow, twisting motion. I moved my mouth to her neck, gently nibbling along the tender flesh below her ear and along the gentle curve of her neck. I quickened my pace and her breathing picked up.

"Do you like that, Bella?" I whispered, allowing my breath to tickle her ear.

"Yes, Edward, yes," she moaned breathlessly.

She gasped as I pressed a second digit into her warm well, and began pumping faster. She was moaning and panting now, her chest rising and falling with her ragged breathing. Her fingers tightened in my hair and pulled roughly.

"God Bella, you're so tight," I breathed against her collar bone. She whimpered and bit her lip her soft pink lip.

I continued pumping and allowed my thumb to gently brush against her nub causing her breath to catch in her throat and her hips to jump slightly.

"Do you like _that_, Bella?" I whispered again, letting my tongue graze her ear lobe.

"Edward I- So… _mmm_… good," she panted.

I continued to pump my fingers in and out of her and gently circle her clit with my thumb before whispering, "I want you to cum, Bella. I want you to cum for me. I want you to cum for me and say my name." She moaned, digging her fingers harder into the nape of my neck. I hooked my fingers slightly inside her, instantly finding her g-spot.

"Ahh!" she gasped.

"Edward I'm…"

"Yes?" I nibbled her ear lobe.

"I'm gonna…" she panted.

"You're gonna what, beautiful?" I sucked on her pulse point on her neck.

"Oh God, Edward, I'm gonna cum!" she screamed as her body erupted into convulsions, her slick walls contracting hard around my fingers. Her throaty moans hung in the air as her hips bucks against my hand. It was the longest orgasm I'd ever seen; she seemed to ride the waves of her ecstasy forever until her body came to rest in a slightly sweaty heap beneath me.

Her eyes were closed and her luscious lips were slightly parted as she struggled to catch her stolen breath. Her legs were trembling and I had to pry her stiff fingers out of my hair so that her limp arms could fall onto the bed beside her.

I brought my fingers to my mouth and greedily licked her wetness clean. _Oh my god, she tastes amazing… _

"That was…" she breathed, almost inaudibly, "that was amazing." I lay down next to her and gathered her into my arms.

"You're amazing," I whispered before kissing her softly on the forehead.

"I can hardly move," she giggled.

"Don't move then. Just lay here with me."

She quickly fell asleep against my side, her head resting gently on my shoulder.

* * *

**A/N: Not too shabby, huh? And sorry for the redwings reference, it was the grossest thing that came to mind off hand. **

Musical inspiration for this chapter is Make It Wit Chu by Queens of the Stone Age. I highly recommend listening to it because as the title implies, its all about fuckin' :) Not to mention the lead singer is a sexy beast. I'll be posting links to all of my musical inspirations in my profile soon in case anyone wants to listen.

**Review, Review, Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted, I went out of town for a couple of days. Sort of a last minute quickie vacation before fall semester starts up again soon. **

**So some of you asked for it, and I try my best to deliver-- the chapter marks the introduction of Rosalie! Woo!**

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews, I appreciate them soooo much!**

* * *

BPOV

I lay flat against his soft new bed breathless, my legs and arms limp and splayed in all directions. What had just happened to me…? What Edward just did was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. Maybe I'm just difficult to please, or maybe the guys I'd slept with were all too lazy to put forth any real effort- there had to be a reason why I hadn't experienced _this_ until now. Edward didn't seem to have a very difficult time of it, so I'm inclined to think the latter reason to be the case. What is it with guys thinking that if they just stick their dick or their fingers in you that you're automatically going to get off? Didn't they realize that it works a little different for girls that it does for guys? Don't get me wrong that part feels good, but not _this_ kind of good- not the kind of good that Edward had just given me.

There was something about it… It wasn't just his hands and what he was doing with them. Or was it just one hand? _Shit, if that was one hand I can't wait to see what he can do with two. _It was what he was saying, what he was doing with his mouth on my neck and my ear, it was the feel of his body pressed against me. Jesus… all of it together made my first _real_ orgasm a total body experience. It was like there was a pot of boiling water inside my stomach; the hotter he made me the more the water would boil, bubbling, threatening to splash over. And when it finally did… I could feel the heat spilling over every inch of my body, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

When it was over, I couldn't move, I could hardly breathe. All I was aware of was his body against mine. He pulled me closer so that I could lay my head on his chest and, before long, I drifted off into the most peaceful sleep I think I've ever had. My last thought before succumbing to my extreme exhaustion was that I had no idea what he last name was.

When I woke up I was still lying next to him; his face was nuzzled into my hair and his arms were wrapped securely around my waist, holding me to him. Glancing up at his face, I saw that he was still very much asleep so I slowly, gently, ran my finger tips over his exposed torso, tracing every line of his statuesque physique from the hollow between his collar bones, over his perfect chest, down his rippling abs and along the diagonal indentions along his hip bones. I was startled when he placed a soft kiss on my forehead while my fingers drew lazy circles around his navel.

"That's a really nice thing to wake up to; your hands on me," he chuckled.

"Glad to be of service," I replied before laying a soft kiss on his chest and squirming out of his arms. I retrieved my panties from where they lay crumpled on the floor beside the bed and stood up to put them on.

"Jesus Christ, Bella!" Edward exclaimed, hastily sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed in front of me.

"What?"

Without a word he leaned down and cradled my left calf in his hands and pulled it upwards so that my foot was perched on the bed next to him. He ran his finger tips over my shin and I winced in pain.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" he asked in a tender voice.

"Yeah, what the hell…" I looked down to where his hands were still gently caressing my leg to see a baseball sized, putrid looking bruise just below my knee. "Wow, I guess I hit the ground harder than I thought the other night." I couldn't help but laugh at myself; now if I ever forgot the consequences of being drunk, I could just look down and have a physical reminder. I immediately stopped laughing when I felt his warm lips against the bruised skin.

"I'm sorry you got hurt, Bella," he whispered softly. _Ugh, he's sweet too. _

His hand stayed on my skin, gently caressing my calf and slowly working its way up to my thigh. I closed my eyes-- I was lost in the moment, lost in the feeling of his touch. I felt a slight pull on my legs and I opened my eyes to see a devilish grin across his perfect face looking up at me.

"Come back to bed," he growled, pulling on my legs again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. One night at a time, Casanova," I said, pushing his shoulders back. _As much as I would love to get back in bed with him, I can't come across too needy. God, I want him so bad, though. Ugh… This is crazy! You just met this guy! _

"Okay, one night at a time it is then," he replied flippantly, holding his hands in the air in silent surrender.

My heart vacillated between staying firm in my resolution to keep him at arm's length and the urge to dive back under the covers with him and never leave. I was brought out of my contemplation by the sound of my cell phone ringing from somewhere close by. I followed the sound into the bathroom where my phone was still nestled in the pocket of my discarded jeans.

"Hi Alice," I said after several rings.

"Bella, where the hell are you? Where's Emmett and Edward? What happened last night?"

"Well sweetheart, after you and Jazz 'excused' yourselves, we went down to Edward's and crashed here."

"Uh huh. And _where_ exactly did you sleep, huh?" Her voice was full of implication, and there so no use trying to lie- she'd find out eventually anyway. So I stayed silent, trying to figure out a way to answer her question with Edward still listening. My moment's hesitation was enough for her. "Bella! Did you sleep with him?!" she screamed excitedly.

"No, it wasn't like that." I tried to keep my tone level as I glanced in Edward's direction. He was shuffling around the room, straightening the bed and retrieving articles of discarded clothing. _He's not a total slob either. Jesus, he_ is_ perfect._

"Well come down here. I have good news." And with that the line went dead and she was gone. I sighed, there really was no use arguing with Alice and, truth be told, I was looking for an easy escape from the tempting situation of half naked Edward and his amazing bed. I slid my jeans back on and grabbed my t-shirt from where it lay on the tile floor. _Shit, it's soaking wet! _There must have been a leak somewhere, but there was no way I was going to put on a cold, soaking wet shirt. I sighed, making sure my back was to Edward, and pulled his t-shirt over my head. _I might as well leave him with something to think about… _I put my bra on quickly and pulled his shirt back on.

"Planning on keeping that, are you?" he asked, gently tugging at the sleeve of the oversized shirt.

"I think you have a leak in your bathroom. My shirt is soaking wet," I said as I gathered the excess fabric around the middle and tied it in a knot behind my back. "Alice wants me to come back down to Jasper's, so I should probably go. She tends to get impatient."

"Okay, just give me a second to get dressed." He kissed me sweetly on the cheek before grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of his closet. Part of me was slightly annoyed that my means of escape had just been thwarted, while another part of me rejoiced in his obvious desire to stay with me. _He really is sweet, and who am I kidding? I don't _really _want to leave him. God, I could stay with him all day. _

I lost myself in my own thoughts for a second. After last night, what did that make Edward and I? Were we together? No… but it didn't seem like either one of us had any particular aversion to making our one night hook-up into something more. But what if I was reading him wrong? What if last night just was what it was? What if he was coming with me just to be nice, not because he wanted to be with me?

In a matter of minutes he was dressed and looking incredible as always. It was so infuriating how effortless his perfection was, yet at the same time it was incredibly sexy how he didn't really have to try. We left the bedroom to find that Emmett was just beginning to stir on the couch.

"Wake up, sunshine. Alice and Jasper have recovered from their midnight frolicking and want us back down there," I said after throwing a pillow at Emmett's groggy face.

"Glad to hear they've gotten it out of their system." He raked his hands over his face to wipe the sleep away.

When we walked through the door of Emmett and Jasper's apartment, our ears were almost immediately assaulted by Alice's squeals of glee.

"Bella!" she gasped when she laid eyes on me.

"What's the good news?" I asked with a smile. It was impossible to resist the positive energy that hovered around my best friend like a cloud.

"Rose called me and we have to pick up from the airport in an hour!" I couldn't hold in a squeal of my own and ran forward to pull Alice into a tight hug.

"No shit, are you serious? This is awesome! How long is she here?"

"She didn't say exactly. She just said she had a lot of stuff she needed to talk to us about and that she is in dire need of a girl's night out." At this point, she and I were both practically jumping up and down with elation.

"So The Trinity is going to be reunited earlier than expected," Jasper said with a grin.

EPOV

"The Trinity?" I asked.

"Alice, Bella and Rose. They're inseparable," Jasper explained.

"Yeah, Rose went to spend the summer with her _boyfriend_, Simon down in Miami. Guess she couldn't stay away," Emmett went on and I picked up on a hint of bitterness on the word 'boyfriend'.

"What the hell are you wearing, Bella?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow at my too-big shirt draped around Bella's delicate frame. I could see a delicious shade of scarlet creep over her smooth cheeks as she blushed at Alice's observation. _Bella wearing my clothes, that's a sight I could definitely get used to. _"Never mind lets run by the house and get the guest room set up before we go get her." Alice gave Jasper a quick hug and kiss goodbye. Bella was about to leave, I had to seize the moment.

She jumped slightly in surprise when I took her small hand in mine. I felt her body relax as I leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Can I call you later?"

"If you want to," she whispered back.

"I want to," I replied using my most alluring voice before kissing her softly below her ear. As I pulled away I couldn't help but notice the goose bumps that had sprung up on her neck at my touch. _Don't lay it on too thick. Quit while you're ahead…_

"Come on, Bells, we've gotta go." Alice pulled her away from me by her other hand, and out the door before either of us had an opportunity to protest.

"Dude, wipe that smirk off your face," Jasper said once the door was closed behind them. I tried my best to compose myself before turning to face them. When I turned around, I found that Jasper hadn't been talking to me at all, but to Emmett.

"Don't get it in your head that Rose coming back into town has anything to do with you, because you know it doesn't."

"Jazz, did you hear what Alice said? They're picking _her_ up from the airport, not _them_. When was the last time Rose did anything without that shithead of a boyfriend of hers? Just… let me enjoy this moment." The widest smile imaginable spread across his face and he closed his eyes as if to savor the knowledge that this Rose girl, the missing piece of "The Trinity", was coming here alone.

"What you have to understand, Edward, is that our Emmett here has been in love with Rose for the last three years. The day he gets up the nerve to ask her out, Simon McLimpDick beat him to the punch by a couple of hours and they've been together ever since," Jasper elaborated, while Emmett guffawed at the nickname he'd given to Rose's boyfriend.

"Believe me, if you saw her you'd understand. Come here, I'll show you what I mean," Emmett said as his laughter began to subside and motioned for me to follow him over to his laptop sitting on the bar by the kitchen. He flipped it open and went to his Facebook page and looked up "Rosalie Hale." Up popped a picture of a stunning blonde with brilliant blue eyes sitting on the lap of a smug looking pretty-boy. "Gorgeous, right?" I nodded, she was beautiful. "Check this out." He clicked on a link to see more pictures of her and pulled up a picture that took my breath away. It was a photo of Rose, Alice and Bella standing side by side smiling at, what looked to be, a football game. All three were wearing tiny cut off denim shorts and garnet t-shirts tied up so that their entire midriff was exposed. Each had a different letter painted on their stomachs, Rosalie an 'F', Bella an 'S' and Alice a 'U'. Bella looked so happy and confident standing between her two friends, their arms around each other. She looked incredible even standing between Alice and Rosalie's beauty. The picture was tagged: Rosalie Hale, Bella Swan, Alice Brandon. _Swan… beautiful._

"You have no idea how hard it is to keep assholes away from those three, especially when they're dressed like that. Of course Mclimpdick, as Jasper called him, couldn't be bothered to come with us that day. Come to think of it, he's never around for stuff that Rose actually wants to do, but you better believe she's expected to be there for something he wants. Fuckin' dick…"

"Bitter, are we?" I joked.

"I hate the guy. But now, Rose is coming back up here without him… I'd never wish anything bad for her, but if they broke up I swear to god… I'd be right there. Even if she never wanted me," he sighed at the thought, "I'd just be happy she's away from that asshole. Honestly Edward, she's more than just beautiful, she's incredibly smart, she's the only girl in the mechanical engineering program. She's got a great sense of humor, and she's… god, she just Rose…" he sank onto a barstool, a wistful expression on his face.

"Wow, I never would have pegged you as the gushing type, Emmett," I laughed.

"Yeah yeah, like I haven't heard it all before. Say what you want, but I love that girl. Speaking of girls," he transitioned, obviously trying to get the attention off of himself, "what's going on between you and Bella?"

"Umm… I don't know, nothing I guess. I mean, I like her. I like her a lot actually, and she's an amazing girl. But as far as there being something between us, well… other than I guess a mutual attraction there isn't anything at this point." I shrugged. It was a truthful answer, despite the events of the previous night and my desire for more, I wasn't Bella's boyfriend. I wasn't Bella's anything except maybe her friend.

"Don't sweat it bro, she likes you," Jasper said, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?"

"We've known Bella for a while now, and we've seen her go through a couple boyfriends and I've never seen her look at any of them the way she looks at you," Emmett remarked.

"Not even Jake. It's no secret that we were never his biggest fans, but I thought they were in it for the long haul. You know, one of those relationships that was really gonna make it. But in the year that they were together, I never saw her look at Jake the way she looks at you," Jasper went on.

"No pressure, right guys?" I laughed nervously. _The way she acts with me is unlike the way she's acted with any other guy? Some of her closest friends think that she likes me, like… really likes me. That's a good sign right? HELL YES that's a good sign! Jesus Christ man, this is it! You've got all the confirmation you need, now you have no excuse to not make a move!_ My brain surged with thoughts, plans, strategies on how to approach starting a relationship with Bella. My Bella…_slow down, slugger. She's not yours yet. _

"Well if the Trinity are going out tonight, so should we. Edward, you in?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, I'm in. What do you have in mind?"

"A guy we know it the bartender at Bull's. He always hooks us up."

"Awesome. Hey, I'll catch you guys later okay? I've got some things to do today. I'll be around so just knock on my door whenever."

"Later man." Emmett high fived me before I let myself out and went back down the hall to my apartment.

As soon as I was alone in my living room, I immediately went to my computer and pulled up Facebook on my own. I typed in 'Bella Swan' and waited for the page to load. My stomach twisted into knots at the sight of the picture that appeared on my screen; it was Bella, looking as angelic and gorgeous as ever wearing a white tank top, jeans, and a baseball hat, smiling with her arms wrapped around the neck of her ex, his lips pressed against her soft cheek. The same cheek I'd held in my hand the night before. Her profile still said that she was "In a relationship with Jacob Black." Why hasn't she changed it yet? _Chill, when has she had an opportunity to? She's been with you, remember?_

I clicked to see more pictures of her and out of the hundreds of pictures, there were a few that stood out in my mind; One was a picture posted by Alice which had to have been from when they were in high school. Bella looked younger, not quite as mature, there was dirt smudged on her face and she embraced another girl, whose face was away from the camera, on a soccer field. Together the two girls held up a huge trophy that read "State Championship" at the bottom. Another was one of Bella lying back in a chair in a tattoo studio, her shorts pulled down on one side exposing her hip, a tattoo artists bend over her torso working on the small sparrow tattoo I'd hardly noticed the night before. She was smiling painfully at the camera with Alice holding her hand. There were pictures of her dressed as a sexy angel at the previous year's Halloween party. There were pictures of her, Rose, and Alice at the beach with Jasper and Emmett. There were pictures of her dancing at clubs. There were pictures of her hugging her parents. I clicked through photo after photo, some of her with other guys which made my insides churn, and some of her just being her amazing self. As I looked, I couldn't help but wonder if there would ever been any pictures of her and me in her gallery. I know it sounds stupid, but I really hoped that there would be.

BPOV

"So?" Alice prodded.

"So, what?" I hedged.

"You know what Bella! What the hell is going on with you and Edward?"

"Oh come on, Ali. Not now, please." This really wasn't a conversation I wanted to have, especially when there wasn't much I was sure of, myself.

"Fine. We'll wait until we can get Rose's perspective on this. But I will tell you one thing- I've been your friend for a long damn time, Bella Swan, and I have never ever seen you fall for a guy this fast." She smirked.

"I haven't fallen for him…" I trailed off. Have I?

"Bullshit! Yes you have. I see how you look at him, you never even looked at Jake like that." I couldn't help but blush. _Maybe I have fallen for him. Shit, I don't know, this is all happening so fast._

We made our way through the airport just as Rose's flight was landing. Alice and I were so excited that she was back a month and a half earlier than expected. It wasn't long before we saw Rose's beautiful corn silk head bobbing above the crowd. She cleared the security gates and screamed, running towards us with arms wide open.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys!" she cried.

"Rose, we've missed you so much," I said. "Come on, let's get your bags."

After loading Rose's things into the trunk of Alice's car we settled in for the drive back to our townhouse.

"Okay spill it! Why the surprise visit? Where's Simon?" Alice was practically bouncing up and down in the driver seat with her excitement.

Rose took a deep breath and sighed. "Simon… he's the entire reason why I'm here. Two days ago, I went shopping with his sister in Boca. We had reservations at some restaurant and VIP passes to a club down there, so we were just going to get a hotel and stay the night. But she got sick and I insisted that we go home. When we got back to the house, it seemed like everyone was gone even though Simon told me that he'd just be hanging around the house all night while I was gone. So I went upstairs to our room and…" she trailed off. I tried to read her expression but it was steeled over as she stared unseeing out the window at the scenery passing by.

"And what, Rose?" Alice pressed.

"And he was fucking his housekeeper in our bed," she said matter-of-factly, her stony expression never changing.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, leaning forward in the backseat to touch her shoulders.

"How could I have been so stupid? So blind, all this time? He actually had the nerve to try to bargain with me; said that he wanted to marry me, but wanted to still see other women on the side. He said he _loved_ me, but loved being with her. What kind of bullshit is that?" She shook her head in fury. "So I packed my stuff and told him it was over. I called a cab and stayed in a hotel, then caught the first flight I could here." She smiled weakly, turning to us. "I needed to be with you guys."

"I swear to god, I'm going to kick Simon's ass if I ever see him again," Alice seethed.

"Speaking of which, you have to promise not to tell Jasper and Emmett. You know they'll rip him to pieces if they find out," she pleaded.

"No, Rose! The guys have to know, they're your friends! And Simon deserves whatever hell they decide to rain down on him!" I was shouting now. How dare that dickhead disrespect my friend like that!

Rose chuckled softly, "It's funny… on the flight up here, I kept thinking about Emmett, about how protective he is over me. You know, it was always like _he _was my boyfriend whenever Simon wasn't around. He always looked out for me and made sure I was okay, and… all the things Simon never did. Sometimes I feel like only assholes are attracted to me and never nice guys like Emmett." She hung her head and I could see that her eyes were swimming with tears now.

I was taken aback; Rose never cried. She was a ball buster, tough as nails chick who never _ever_ cried. This… this was too much.

"Rose… I probably shouldn't be telling you this, and he'd kill me if he knew that I did, but… Emmett did all those things because he's always had a thing for you. I think I may have even heard him toss the word 'love' around a few times. He hated Simon from day one! But he always pretended to be cool with him because you loved him. Now, I'm only telling you this because you need to know that there are good guys out there- good guys who already think that you're god's gift to the world. Emmett practically worships the ground you walk on." I sighed. I should have kept Emmett's secret, but Rose needed to know that there _was_ a nice guy patiently waiting for her. I caught a glimpse of her crack a slight smile, before composing her face and turning to face me in the backseat.

"Alright, enough about me and my sob story. Alice says you and Jake are done and there's some new guy. Who is he? Tell me everything I've missed."

I groaned, of course Alice had already clued Rose in about Edward.

"Well, his name is Edward and he's…" I tried to choose my words wisely, so that they conveyed my feelings for him a concisely as possible. "He's…" _fuck it…_ "He's gorgeous, smart, funny, witty, and overall amazing." The words spilled out of me before I had a chance to stop them.

"Ah ha! I knew you were falling for him!" she squealed.

"Damnit, how could I have fallen so hard for this guy in two freaking days!" I put my head in my hands.

"Rose, wait 'til you see him. You'll know exactly why she fell for him in two days," Alice joked. "And you never did tell me what exactly you guys did last night."

I groaned again. "I'm only going to tell you because I know you'll bother me about it until I tell you anyway, so I might as well just save both of us the hassle." _Here go the sordid details of my sex life… _"After you and Jasper decided you simply _had_ to have each other in the middle of our little get together, we went down to Edward's apartment-"

"He lives a couple doors down from Jazz and Emmett," Alice explained to Rose.

"Got it, go on"

"And he kept touching me. He couldn't keep his hands off of me- holding my hand, or rubbing my back, or something. Emmett fell asleep on the couch so we moved into the bedroom and he told me I could sleep there with him. I borrowed one of his shirts and got into bed…" I hesitated, not sure how much detail I should give. _I guess it doesn't really matter either way… _"We got to talking, and I told him…" I took a deep breath, "I told him that no guy had ever gotten me off, and he pretty much asked me if he could try." I blushed at the memory, the feeling of his strong hands on my body.

"What?!" they both exclaimed together.

"Never? Not with Jake or anybody?" Rose asked, completely dumbfounded.

"No, never. So he…well, he gave me my first real one." I could feel my blush intensifying.

"You said you didn't sleep with him!" Alice accused.

"I didn't! He used his hand." _That's it. I don't think all the blood in my body has rushed to my face. _

Alice and Rose stared at each other, their mouths open in disbelief.

"So, let me get this straight. You meet a gorgeous guy who you say is smart, and funny and just all around incredible who gets you off, doesn't push for sex and doesn't ask for anything in return?"

"Oh and Emmett and Jasper like him too. Really like him." Alice added.

"Yes to all of the above," I replied, embarrassed to have it all spread out so neatly by Rose's summary.

"Why haven't you married this guy yet?" she laughed, and Alice and I joined in.

"I thought you guys would think I was crazy for jumping into another relationship so soon after Jake."

"Bella, who cares what we think? It's about what you think. If this guy is as incredible as you guys say he is, you'd better not let him get away."

Rose was right. Edward was everything I'd ever wanted in a guy, everything I'd ever been looking for all rolled up into one sinfully delicious package.

"You'll get to meet him soon enough I'm sure," I said.

"Soon enough, but tonight is all about us. It's Ladies Night at Bull's. We are going to get all sexy-ed up and have an awesome girl's night out. No boys!" Alice proclaimed as we pulled into a parking space in front of our house.

"Welcome home, Rose," I said, leaning forward to give her a hug.

* * *

**A/N: I know this was a little bit of filler material, but it was stuff that I think needed to be said. Edward and Bella both feel the same way about each other, they just don't know it. The next chapter will have a little drama, and I should have it up soon.**

**Please keep the reviews coming, they make me happy. Also, if you have any suggestions, any at all, please send them my way. I'm always open to other opinions.**

Musical inspiration for this chapter is Golden Train by Justin Nozuka. If you haven't checked him out you totally should, he's incredible and he'll make you swoon :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry guys, I meant to have this posted last night but I was having internet issues...**

**Anyway! Thanks a million for all of the reviews, they make me insanely happy. **

**The two songs I make reference to in this chapter are Bad Girlfriend by Theory of a Deadman and You Want it All by Silvertide. The link to my project playlist containing these songs as well as all of my other musical inspirations is on my profile, as well as visuals for Bella and Rose's club outfits how I picture them.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

EPOV

I spent the afternoon milling around my apartment, hooking up the new TV and putting my clothes away in my dresser. I did anything and everything I could think of to pass the time. After a couple of hours, I couldn't stand putting it off anymore- I had to call Bella. I didn't have anything to say, I just desperately wanted to hear her voice.

With shaking hands I dialed her number. One ring… two rings… three rings…

"Hey there, Casanova," she said, her honeyed voice sending chills down my spine.

"Hey yourself, beautiful. What are you up to?" I secretly hoped she'd say something like, 'Naked, in bed. Thinking about you, Edward.'_ It's true what they say, guys are pigs._

"Um… we're just sitting around catching up with Rose. I think we're gonna go get some dinner soon before going out." She giggled and squealed into the phone. "Shut up, Alice!"

"Alice being irritating again?" I asked, desperately trying to recapture her full attention.

"Always," she cooed. "Edward, I've gotta go. Alice says I'm being rude by ignoring her and Rose." Her musical laughter rang in my ears again and my heart thumped wildly in my chest.

"Hey, Bella…umm… do you have plans tomorrow?"_ Shit, that could have come out smoother…_

"Huh? Rose, stop it!" she shrieked through another fit of giggles.

"Tomorrow, are you busy?"_ Please say no, please say no._

"Tomorrow? No, no plans. Listen, I've gotta go. I'll call you in the morning," she said between laughter. "Bye Edward. Muah!" She made a kissing sound into the phone and I could hear a chorus of other voices in the background mimicking her, 'Bye Edward' and another fit of giggles before the line went dead.

"Bye Bella," I whispered into the empty line. The conversation had lasted less than two minutes and it both infuriated and excited me. I was pissed because I had, until this point, been entirely capable of capturing Bella's full and complete attention and I was not happy about having to share her with anyone else. But at the same time, the way she laughed and the playful ribbing I could hear from the other girls lead me to believe that I had, at some point, come up in their conversation. A stupid grin took up residence on my face as I let the excited part of me win out._ She's been thinking about me too…_

It was getting dark and I figured it would soon be time to hit the bar with the guys so I decided to go ahead and get changed. I put on a pair of tailored jeans, and a white button up shirt. I left the top few buttons undone and rolled the sleeves up to my elbows. I secretly wondered what Bella and the girls would be doing tonight, I wondered if she'd be thinking about me as much as I was sure I'd be thinking about her.

I jumped a little when there was a loud thumping on my door._ Jesus Christ, Emmett should get an award for his impeccable timing._

BPOV

Once we got Rose's things into the guest room, Alice proclaimed, "I don't care if it's the middle of the afternoon, we are having margaritas!" Two pitchers of strong margaritas later, the three of us were in a pile of convulsing giggles on the couch in our living room, struggling to catch our breath.

Rose told us as many embarrassing stories about Simon as she could think of. "Believe me," she said, "he said he loved me, but I never had anything on his mother. She still picked out his clothes, and how he cut his hair. I swear to god she'd still wipe his ass if she could!"

And of course, the conversation eventually shifted to me.

"So, Bella… are you going to make a move on this Edward kid or what? Because, he sounds pretty amazing and, seeing as how I'm newly single and all, I can't be held responsible for my actions. However, if you were to officially stake your claim on him, I might be able to control myself." She winked at me. I knew she was kidding but the very thought of any other girl flirting with Edward, my friend or not, made my blood boil. That was exactly what I wanted to do; stake my claim. Mark him as mine in some way, so that the entire world would know that he belonged to me. But at this point, all it was was wishful thinking. Edward was no more mine that I was his, no matter how badly I wanted him.

Then is hit me like a ton of bricks. If I wanted it so bad, why didn't I just take it? Or at least try. I'd hate myself forever if I just left everything up to chance. With Edward, boldness had been on my side and I needed to draw upon it again in order to make my dreams come to fruition.

"Umm… Earth to Bella?" Rose waved her hand in front of my face, and I snapped back to reality.

"Where did you go, space cadet?" Alice laughed.

"You guys are right, totally right and I've been acting like a damn baby," I asserted, feeling completely empowered by my decision to make a real move.

"O-kay… I love to be right but do you mind telling us what exactly we were right about?" Rose said, exchanging a speculative glance with Alice.

"Edward. I mean,_ shit_, he's perfect. Not just perfect, but perfect for me! It's been two days but it feels like a lifetime and here I am tip-toeing around worrying about what everyone else would think of me if I actually pursued something with him, and agonizing over whether or not he'd think I was too forward or crazy or stupid! Who cares?! It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, right?"

Alice giggled. "Loved? Bella are you in love with him?"

"What? No. Of course not. I mean- I…I don't know, maybe. Fuck, this is bad!" I sank back into the couch, throwing my arms around my head to cover my face in exasperation. I could hear my best friends howling with laughter on either side of me.

"Listen, this is no big deal. So you've fallen hard for this guy. Big whoop. The only thing to it is follow through, you can't puss out." Rose explained, slinging her arm casually around my shoulder.

"Exactly. Take the bull by the horns, Bella! That's the only way to get what you want. So what if it happened in a couple days? That just means it's intense," Alice chimed in. "And intense is always good." She wagged her eyebrows at me.

"Intense is a gross understatement. Shit, guys! I just practically admitted to being in love with a guy I just met. This is ridiculous, and scary, and amazing, and ugh!!"

"Listen up ladies!" Alice exclaimed, getting up from the couch and raising her nearly empty margarita glass. "There's a shit ton of love in this room; between Bella's newly discovered feelings for sexy Eddie, the revelation that Emmett has always been in love with little miss perfect, and our incredible, undeniable sisterly bond, this place is practically bursting at the seams! All that being said, let me just say, no matter what happens… guys can come and go but we, ladies, we will last forever! Though I'd take sausage over tacos any day, I hereby proclaim that the three of us are hetero life mates forever! Too much love to be just friends and not quite enough lust for anything else!"

"Here, here!" Rose laughed raising her glass.

I groaned. "Yeah, yeah- hetero life mates til the end. Hooray!" I mock cheered, but I couldn't help but laugh at Alice's epic declaration.

"So, let the showers and beautification begin because tonight we make the guys in this town drool." She flashed a wicked smile and downed the last of her drink before skipping up the stairs.

"Who can argue with that?" I mumbled.

EPOV

"Tyler! What's up man?!" Emmett's booming voice could be heard over the crowd and the loud band on stage. He slapped hands with and quickly embraced a guy with shaggy brown hair.

"McCarty! I should have known you'd show your face around here on Ladies Night. The turn out's gonna be good tonight, I can feel it." Tyler shouted over the din in the bar. "Listen, you guys come to me tonight I'll keep you well hydrated, if you know what I mean."

"Thanks man, we can always count on you," Emmett said, and punched Tyler's outstretched fist with his own.

"Damn! Speaking of which, look what just walked through the door," the bartender said, sucking in a sharp breath.

The three of us turned around to see the hottest, most beautiful women breezing through the door onto the outdoor deck, near the bar where we stood. There was Alice, wearing a black tube top, denim mini skirt and knee high boots, her hair spiked into fashionable disarray. There was, I assumed, Rose, tall, blonde and striking wearing skin tight jeans, a deep blue halter top with a plunging neckline, and strappy heels. And Bella…_ oh my god, Bella…_ her hair hung in soft romantic curls and she wore stylishly ripped jeans, a white vest with nothing underneath, and black stiletto boots. She vest left a few inches of her flat stomach exposed, showing off small tattoo on her hip.

I gulped hard and heard Emmett and Jasper hiss on either side of me.

"Thank you, god. I think I've died and gone to heaven," Emmett sighed.

"Shit, they're coming over here. We've gotta hide," Jasper cursed.

"Why?"

"Because idiot, it's 'girl's night' I don't know about Bella and Rose, but Alice will be pissed if she see's us here. She'll think we crashed their party on purpose, and believe me, angry Alice isn't something you want to see. So move your ass!" he pushed me hard and we moved to the other side of the bar, slipping into the crowd of people gathered around.

"Three rum and cokes," I heard Bella's angelic voice lift over the noise as I retreated into the throng of people. As we made our way around the bar I immediately started mentally kicking myself for listening to Jasper. It seemed like every male we passed had noticed the three girls as well and were making every vulgar remark known to man. My instinct was to go and throw my arms around her, to shield her delectable curves from their lustful eyes. I felt my hands clench into tight fists at my sides every time I heard one of them make a reference to Bella._ My beautiful, sweet Bella_.

Once we were against the wall and a few feet away from the nearest oogling assholes, I scanned the crowd looking for the familiar brown curls. My heart rate accelerated when I couldn't immediately find her. Involuntary panic ripped through me, I was ready to tear this place apart to find her.

Emmett slapped me hard on the chest. "Check it out, the show is about to begin," he said pointing to an area of the dance floor in front of the stage where a cheesy cover band played.

"Hey, we want to thank everybody for coming out tonight," the lead singer of the band announced into the microphone. "This next song goes out to these lovely ladies right here up front." He pointed to our girls who jumped up and down in excitement.

The band broke into a guitar riff that I recognized from the one time Derek had dragged me to a strip club. My eyes widened when Alice, Bella, and Rose started dancing and grinding to the chugging guitar.

_My girlfriend's a dick magnet  
My girlfriend's gotta have it  
She's hot, can't stop, up on stage doing shots  
Tip the man he'll ring the bell, get her drunk she'll scream like hell  
Dirty girl, gettin' down, dance with guys from outta town  
Grab her ass, actin' tough,  
Mess with her, she'll fuck you up  
No one really knows if she's drunk or if she's stoned, but she's comin' back to my place tonight_!

My eyed locked on Bella, moving and pulsing to the beat. She flipped her hair and ran her hands down her body, her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted as she moved. She swiveled her hips as the band broke into the chorus.

_She likes to shake her ass  
She grinds it to the beat  
She likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth  
I like to strip her down  
She's naughty to the end  
You know what she is, no doubt about it  
She's a BAD BAD GIRLFRIEND_

My jaw dropped. I had never seen her move that way. I had never even imagined her moving that way. It was… incredibly sexy, quite possible the most erotic thing I'd ever laid eyes on.

_Red thong, party's on, love this song, sing along.  
Come together, leave alone, see you later back at home  
No one really knows if she's drunk or is she's stoned  
but she's coming back to my place tonight  
I say  
No one really knows just how far she's going to go  
but I'm gonna find out later tonight_

The girls moved closer together, grinding on each other, Bella situated in the middle between her two friends. I glanced to my left to see that Jasper and Emmett's mouths were both hanging slack-jawed, and Jasper adjusted himself. The song continued on, and a crowd of eager guys encircled the gyrating females. My fists clenched again, my jaw tightened, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the song came to an end and the bar erupted in applause.

"Thank you, thank you very much," the singer crooned. "And thanks to these girls right here," he pointed to the place where the girls stood clapping. "Which one of you wants to be my bad girlfriend?" A low growl rose in my chest but was inaudible over the cheers from the crowd. I saw Bella blush my favorite shade of pink and whisper something to Alice, who threw her head back and laughed.

The band started playing another song and several assholes moved in closer to them, pulling the oldest tricks in the book. One guy approached Rose from behind, dancing closer and closer to her until her ass brushed against his crotch. She turned and smiled, not paying him much attention until he placed his hands on her hips, swaying side to side with her grasped firmly in his hands. Emmett's jaw clenched shut with a loud and distinct click of his teeth crashing together.

Jasper stiffened when some frat-type guy approached Alice with a fresh drink, leaning in close to her to whisper something in her ear.

I saw several other guys eyeing Bella, I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand by and watch these mindless douche bags put their hands all over Bella's beautiful body.

"Sorry guys, I have to blow our cover," I said surging forward through the crowd.

"I second that motion," Emmett said and I could feel him close at my heels, Jasper following right behind.

Bella's back was to me as I approached. _You want her; she wants you, just do it. _Adrenaline pumped through my veins, my heart raced, I reached out my hand and grabbed onto her hips at they gyrated back and forth. At first she didn't pay me much attention, her eyes were still closed, her arms were lifted and draped lazily around her head as she swayed to the beat. I needed her attention; I needed her to know that_ I_ was the one holding her, not one of these asshole idiots. My breathing picked up and I pulled her tighter against me, her back against my chest, my arms encircling her waist. Her eyes popped open and she spun around to face me. In the split second I could see the venomous remark perched on the edge her tongue, ready to strike at the person who'd grabbed her, but her face softened with recognition when her eyes focused on me.

"Hi there," she smirked, her cheeks flushing slightly under my intense gaze.

"Hey," was all I could muster.

"Were you spying on us?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"We're here by pure coincidence, I swear," I muttered in her ear. _Goosebumps again. Try to get _that_ reaction out of her, assholes. That one's just for me._

"So, now that you're here… are you gonna dance with me or what?" Her incredible pouty lips curved up into a seductive smile.

"I'll dance, but I can't be held responsible for what my hands do." _God, this woman is going to drive me insane!_

She giggled, her soft musical laughter lightly drifting over the music and the sounds of the bar, and turned away from me. This time she pressed her back against my chest on her own, dragging her ass against me, and placing my hands lightly on the waist band of her jeans.

We danced for several songs, I was completely unaware of anything else around me and she seemed to be as well. She'd close her eyes, lean her head back on my shoulder, and encircle her arms around my neck while she undulated against me. I let my fingers trace softly over the exposed skin above her jeans while she ground herself onto my zipper. The rolling beats picked up again as the band broke into a new song with a pulsing guitar riff.

She turned to face me, a wicked smile playing over her enticing mouth. "I love this song," she purred. Her eyes seemed to darken as they locked with mine. She pressed herself against me, and my leg slid naturally between her thighs- she continued to grind down on me provocatively.

_Standing there with that killer stare and body that won't quit_

_She said,-_

Bella parted her lips to mouth along with the lyrics.

"_I don't want a little piece of your love, so give me all of it"_

She licked her lips and continued to sway.

_And before I knew what I had to do, she was holdin' on so tight_

_She said, "Just relax, you better kick on back and enjoy the ride."_

She mouthed the suggestive lyrics at me again, her beautiful brown gaze never leaving mine. I'd never really thought of Bella as anything other that just beautiful, sure I'd had a few private fantasies but nothing had prepared me for this sexy vixen that was writhing against me in real life, at this moment.

_But she wants more and more and more and more…_

_You want it all. Well little girl, I hope you're ready._

_You want it all. Well I got it, so baby come and get it, come on._

_You want it all. Up down all around straight down to the ground._

_You say you want it but your momma won't let it _

_You only live once so baby come and get it, come on. _

She ground herself harder against my thigh, and tossed her head back allowing her lustrous main of hair to dangle behind her, lightly tickling my hand where it rested on the small of her back.

_Another night, she's just arrived and she's knockin' down my door._

_Wearin' nothing but a raincoat, and she's beggin' me for more._

_I said, "I ain't seen a drop of rain in so long I just forget,"_

_She says-_

Her head snapped up and she was grinning wickedly at me again. She ran her index finger down my nose as she mouthed the next line,

"_Whenever I get close to you I'm soaking wet,"_

_But she wants more and more and more and more…_

_You want it all. Well little girl, I hope you're ready._

_You want it all. Well I got it, so baby come and get it, come on._

_You want it all. Up down all around straight down to the ground._

_You say you want it but your momma won't let it _

_You only live once so baby come and get it, come on._

She giggled playfully as the song continued.

I leaned forward and placed my lips against her ear. "I guess you really are a dirty girl."

"Oh god, I did say that, didn't I?" she covered her face with her hand, but I quickly pulled it away.

"You're too stunning to hide your face, Bella." She blushed slightly at my words as her eyes locked with mine once more.

"Edward-"

"Bella!" Alice wailed, pulling her hand free of my grasp. "Girl's night, remember? You've had enough face time with Edward. Come on, you need another drink." She jutted out her lower lip in an unbelievably sexy pout as Alice dragged her toward the bar.

I stared longingly after her retreating figure, when I was suddenly flanked my Jasper and Emmett.

"Well, at least all these fuckheads know they're with us now," Emmett laughed.

"You and Rose seem to be reconnecting pretty while, huh Em?" Jasper asked.

"Better than I could have ever imagined. Thanks for noticing," he answered.

"Whoa… apparently not _all_ of these fuckheads know that they are with us. Check it out." Jasper lifted a finger towards the bar.

My lips curled back over my teeth when I saw a tall guy standing directly in front of Bella. Too close. My eyes narrowed when I saw that asshole extend two fingers and start caressing the small tattoo bared on her hip. I took one determined step forward, ready to launch myself at him, and break his fingers for touching her before Emmett pulled me back.

"Wait a sec. You need to understand that you're dealing with one very headstrong, independent woman. You can't go swooping in to save her every time some sleaze ball makes a pass at her. You only get one chance to be her hero, make sure you save it for good one."

"Him touching her doesn't constitute a good one?" I growled, bile burning the back of my throat in anger.

"Bella's a big girl. Let her take care of herself. Step in if she can't. Look, see? Crisis averted with no missing teeth."

I watched as she politely brushed his hand away and placed her small hands on her shapely hips, discreetly covering most of the naked flesh. I exhaled in slight relief. _So maybe I do have a tendency to overreact, but this was Bella we're dealing with here. She's everything. _I'd finally admitted it to myself. In the short time I'd known her, my attraction was more than just physical; she had become a part of me. Somehow, while I wasn't looking she had moved in and camped out in my heart.

I couldn't hear what she was saying to him, but I knew a brush off when I saw it. I saw her lips form the words, "It was good to see you," before pushing away from the bar and sashaying back over to me. Over her shoulder I saw the guy's eyes bore holes in her back, then shift to me and glare. He grabbed her wrist, but she shook him off. His face reddened before turning back to the bar.

When she was standing in front of me, she reached up to wrap her arms around my neck and pull me down to her level. I could feel her sweet, intoxicating breath tickle my ear.

"Fuck girl's night. I'm having more fun with you. Shh… don't tell," she said before nipping at my earlobe with her teeth. I sucked in a quick breath and planted my hands on her hips. She pulled back to stare at me with hooded eyes. She tilted her head upward inviting me to taste her luscious pout when I felt a vibration from her jeans.

"Jesus fucking Christ," she muttered, breaking her visual hold on me and reaching into the pocket of her jeans to retrieve her slim cell phone.

"Jake?" she shouted into the phone. "Jake, hello? Yeah, I'm here. What? I can't hear you. Hang on, let me go out to the parking lot so I can hear you better. I'll be right back, okay?" she said, turning to me.

"Don't be too long," I said and playfully swatted her taut backside, eliciting a soft squeak, as she retreated to the bar's entrance clutching her phone to her ear.

"See? You kept your cool and see where it got you?" Emmett said, beaming at me like he was sharing some sacred pearl of wisdom. I laughed. I _was_ glad I'd kept my temper under control; she'd proven herself quite capable of fending off jerks without me and without bloodshed.

A few minutes ticked by and Bella hadn't returned.

"Edward, where's Bella?" Alice shouted, dancing with Jasper.

"She went outside to use the phone," Emmett answered before me.

"Jeez, she's been gone a long time. What the hell is she talking about?" she mused.

It _had_ been a while. _Too long. _My heart thudded in my chest. _Calm down, don't overreact again. She's fine. _

"Edward," Emmett broke in.

"What?" I barked, unintentionally harsh.

"Have you seen the fuckhead?"

I felt the color drain from my face. No, I hadn't seen that asshole, not since Bella went outside. _Shit… fuck!_

"Hero time, bro. Let's go find her. Alice, Rose – stay with Jasper," he commanded, his voice suddenly dripping with authority.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Rose asked, concerned confusion saturating her tone.

"Just stay here!" he shouted and we bolted for the door.

It was a quarter to two, almost closing time. The bouncers had moved inside because nobody else would be coming in. Beyond the doorway was a gravel parking lot bathed in the orange glow of half a dozen street lights. Bella was nowhere to be seen.

"Bella?!" I called, beginning to panic. Nothing. Silence. "Bella!" I called again, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs. Nothing.

The parking lot was still and quiet, and then I heard it. A sort of growl followed by a muffled whimper.

"The alley," Emmett said taking off into a run towards the corner of the building. I sprinted past him, sending up a cloud of dirt and rocks as I rounded the corner.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" I bellowed my voice gravely and course. The scene in front of me was like something out of my nightmares. Bella was pressed against the wall of the alley in the dim light, the fuckhead's sweaty body pressed against her, pinning her there. Her legs were spread apart, his knee planted between them. Her hand gripping her cell phone was pinned between her chest and his, her other hand pulled frantically at the collar of his shirt. One of his hands was planted against the wall while the other was clamped roughly over her mouth.

He turned his face to sneer at me. My chest heaved and my hands trembled with fury.

"Get your god damn hands off of her!" Emmett bellowed, puffing himself up beside me. I was beyond words, my brain had shifted into primal mode and I was no longer thinking clearly. All I knew was that his hands were on _my Bella_, and I had to make her safe again.

I hurled myself at him, crossing the distance in seconds. I felt my fist make contact with his jaw, his disgusting face twisting in agony as he staggered back, releasing Bella from his grasp. She immediately ran to Emmett as soon as she was free. I connected two more punches to his face and stomach before he coiled back and clocked me hard in the mouth. Spitting blood on the pavement, I lunged at him again shoving him with all my strength against the brick wall.

"Don't. You. Ever. Fucking. Touch her. Again," I panted, slamming him into the wall with every word.

"Edward!" Bella's voice cut through the night; cut through my cloud of rage.

"Don't ever let me see your god damn face again," I snarled, spit flying from my mouth to settle on his busted, bleeding skin. I shoved him off the wall towards the parking lot, Bella cowered into Emmett's side as the asshole lumbered past her.

"Good to see you too, Bella," he spat, wiping blood from his mouth, smearing it across his chin.

When he was far enough away, my heart slowed and my breathing began to return to normal. I released my trembling fingers from my fists, for the first time noticing the blood stains on my knuckles.

"Edward?" I turned to Bella, her face was… not horrified, but worried. About me.

She pushed away from Emmett and ran to me. Her arms frantically wrapped around my waist, her face buried in my chest. I could feel sobs rip through her body as she clutched at me.

"Take me home, Edward," she choked. "Please just take me home."

* * *

**A/N: I've found that writing from Edward's POV is way more fun than Bella's :) What do you think of the songs? Total new wave stripper anthems, kind of like how Warrent's Cherry Pie or White Snake's Here I Go Again on my Own was in the 80's. **

**So yeah, these two needed a little push, and nothing pushes people together like stressful situations. **

**Please review, I'll love you forever!**

Musical inspiration... The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails ("Still" version)


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well kids let me start off by apologizing for this not being up sooner. My plan was to have it posted by Thursday but a little thing called Tropical Storm Fay rolled through and knocked out my power for a day and my internet access for three! Mother nature is a bitch. **

**So... in this chapter we'll find out who the guy who attacked Bella was and we'll find out her that she has a secret she's been keeping from everyone. **

**Enjoy! I hope you will.**

* * *

BPOV

The night had started off so perfectly.

Alice, Rose, and I danced and drank and were having an awesome time. The band even dedicated a song to us, which was flattering but slightly creepy considering their song choice. And then, like he'd stepped out of my fantasies, Edward was there, holding me. I'd had a few drinks but I was by no means drunk. I was however numb to my nervousness. I'd already made up my mind what I wanted and I was ready to get it.

We danced; our bodies moving and fitting together like puzzle pieces, two halves of a whole. But there was some cosmic force that was determined to make my getting what I wanted as difficult as possible.

First, Alice dragged me away from him, saying that it was 'girl's night' and that I'd had enough face time with Edward. Let me just say, I will_ never_ get enough 'Face time' with that man. And then… James, the biggest mistake of my life, came out of nowhere acting like there had never been a falling out between us.

James had been my Physics lab partner last semester. For three and a half months I spent 2 hours, twice a week working side by side with him and he seemed like a nice guy. I knew he was flirting with me, and I made it as clear as I could that I had a boyfriend at the time but he didn't let up. Then one night Jake and I had a fight, the biggest fight of our relationship. I just got in my car and drove, I didn't know where I was going; all I knew was that I had to get away, I had to get out. Before I knew it I was at James's house. Why I didn't go to Alice or Rose or Jasper or Emmett I don't know. And James was there with open arms. After crying on his shoulder for a while and in a moment of incredible weakness I let him kiss me. It didn't feel good per se; my heart was aching and his kiss just made me feel numb, it took the pain away. I knew he wanted more from me, but I couldn't, I wouldn't give it to him. He tried to push things further between us that night, but I pushed him away. As soon as our lips parted all the pain of my and Jake's fight came back, coupled with the new pain of knowing what I'd just done. I told him it was a mistake._ I had made a mistake_ by coming there, by coming to him, and I left.

I wound up sleeping at my parent's house that night only to find Jake there beside me in the morning. He apologized for everything he'd said and done and I cried. I cried for all of the horrible and mean things I'd said to him, I cried for walking out on him, and I cried for what I'd done. But I never told him. I knew I should have. I should have come clean but I just couldn't bring myself to admit my shame to him. I never even told Alice or Rose. I've never told anyone, ever.

The rest of the semester passed and things between James and I were never the same. I didn't want them to be. I hated having to be reminded twice a week of the secret that was eating away at me. James _seemed_ to be trying to act like nothing had ever happened, but I couldn't look at him the same way. I didn't blame him at all; everything that had happened was entirely my fault. I opened the door and he just went through it.

Right before the end of the semester he asked me if we could talk.

"Bella, I want us to be cool," he said.

"I don't know if we can, James. I never should have done what I did," I said back.

"Listen, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, and it seems pretty clear to me that your boyfriend doesn't pay you as much attention as he should. There's no way he'll ever find out." His faced twisted into a slimy sneer I'd never seen before. The guy I'd thought was sweet and sincere, the guy I'd thought was my friend, was proposing something awful. I stood there, completely flabbergasted by what he was suggesting and then he was on me again. Kissing my neck, his hands roamed over my body but I pushed him away. He didn't resist, but I knew he was angry.

He called me a week later and apologized and said that he'd really like for us to try being friends, but I just couldn't. I knew that there would always been something weird between us and I had a feeling that he'd try to push his boundaries again. I told him to give it some time for everything to blow over. I'd call him when I was ready to give it a shot, when I really never had any intention of doing so at all.

It had been a month since I'd last spoken with him and then there he was, standing in front of me at the bar, touching me, doing the things I knew he'd try to do again. I knew he was drunk so I tried not to freak out on him. His fingers touched my skin and I, as politely as I could, brushed them away; trying to nicely remind him that that was forbidden territory. He said he'd heard that Jake and I had broken up and wanted to know if I wanted to go out. I could see Edward over James's shoulder; his face was hard and menacing. I saw him take a step towards me, towards James, before Emmett pulled him back. I was glad that he stopped him. I didn't want to have to explain who this guy was to Edward.

I'd admitted my mistake to myself and I was_ not_ about to let myself stoop any further into depravity, so I said, "It was really good to see you," and excused myself, as sweetly as I could, still making sure my tone had an air of finality. All I wanted was to be back in Edward's arms. I wanted to forget about what I'd done and put it behind me once and for all. He was angry, I knew it— I'd seen it before. He grabbed my wrist but I shook him off, my sights were already back on Edward, the one that I really wanted. I left James behind me, I left everything behind me. I let it all go.

I got back to Edward and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him to me. I was done pretending that his presence didn't have an effect on me. I was done denying my feelings, my desires, for him. I leaned my head back, waiting for him to show me that he wanted me too. His lips were a fraction of an inch away from mine when I felt my phone go off in my pocket.

"Jesus fucking Christ," I muttered, exasperatedly._ Just one more interruption!_

I looked at my caller ID, it was Jake._ Every guy in my life decides to make an appearance on the same night, great!_ I couldn't ignore the call, no matter how badly I wanted to continue what Edward and I had started.

"Jake?" I shouted into the phone. "Jake, hello? Yeah, I'm here. What? I can't hear you." The band was playing too loud. "Hang on, let me go out to the parking lot so I can hear you better. I'll be right back, okay?" I said turning to Edward. He swatted me on the ass as I walked towards the door, masking his frustration with playfulness.

Once I was outside, I was alone and it was quiet.

"What's up, Jake?"

"Hey Bells, what are you up to?" he asked.

"I'm at Bull's with… someone," I hedged.

He laughed, "Someone, huh? I'll let you get back to your someone then. Sorry to interrupt. Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do?"

"Which is what exactly?" I joked.

"Meth. Definitely not meth."

"Bye Jake," I laughed and snapped the phone shut.

I turned around to head back inside to Edward only to find James standing just a few feet away from me.

"James, you scared me!" I said, placing my hand over my thundering heart.

"What are you doing out here alone?" he asked with an edge to his voice. There was something… different about him. This wasn't the same James I'd been in class with, and it wasn't because he was drunk.

I held up my cell. "Had to take a phone call." I gave a half smile, trying to keep things light.

His faced twisted into a sickly sarcastic grin, "Boyfriend? Oh wait, you don't have one anymore. So, who was that guy you were dancing with?" he slurred, taking a few steps towards me. "Just another guy you're going to string along?"

"James, I –" I took a few steps backward towards the empty parking lot.

"Is that what you do, Bella? Just find a guy to fuck with?" he advanced toward me, and I retreated a few more steps.

"No James, it wasn't like that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have –"

"Shut up!" he snapped, cutting me off.

"James, I'm sorry. Please, just let me go back inside. My friends are waiting for me." I stammered, fear pumping through my veins.

"No. I think you need to finish what you started with me," he growled, moving closer to me.

"Please, you're drunk. Let's just go inside…" Fearful tears sprung to my eyes, I gripped my phone in my hands preparing to use it as a weapon in any way I could if he came closer. We were alone, the band inside was still playing—no one would be able to hear me if I screamed for help.

He moved closer to me still, immediately my instincts took over and I tried to make a run for it. He caught me around the middle before I could make it two steps. I screamed and kicked as he pulled me around the corner and into the alley around the backside of the club. He spun me around forcefully, slammed my back against the brick wall and pressed his chest against mine, pinning my hand still holding my phone between us.

"Please, James," I sobbed.

He clamped his hand roughly over my mouth and pressed his lips against my ear. I could feel his sticky, disgusting breath against my skin, his body sagged against mine. I closed my eyes, bracing for whatever was to come next when I heard my name being called.

_Edward! _

I wanted to call out to him; his voice was so full of panic. James locked eyes with me giving me a silent warning to keep quiet. Edward called out for me again and James pressed himself harder against me. I flinched at the added pressure eliciting a growl from deep in James's chest. I sobbed against his hand. I heard footfalls on the gravel, two people running, and then Edward's voice.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he roared.

My eyes snapped open in time to see James curling his lip in Edward's direction.

"Get your god damn hands off of her!" Emmett shouted.

I blinked and Edward had crossed the distance between us, his fist making contact with James's leering face. He staggered backwards, nearly falling as Edward continued to pummel him several times in the gut and face. I ran to Emmett as soon as I could move. I watched in horror as James's reared his fist back and connected with Edward's perfect mouth; the mouth that should be kissing me, not taking a beating for me. To my intense surprise he hardly even reacted to the contact. Instead he spit blood onto the pavement before grabbing James by the collar of his shirt and slamming him repeatedly into the wall.

"Don't. You. Ever. Fucking. Touch her. Again," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Edward!" I cried. This had to end; I couldn't let him kill James. It looked like he might.

He moved his face closer to James and menacingly whispered something to him that I couldn't hear before pushing him off the wall towards the parking lot. He stumbled past Emmett and me.

"Good to see you too, Bella," he hissed, smearing blood across his chin.

When he was gone, I released my grip around Emmett's arm and turned to Edward who stood shaking in the alley.

"Edward?" I whispered. I was so worried about him; if he was alright, what he'd think about what he'd seen. He turned his piercing green eyes up at me causing my insides to melt; every emotion I had, I saw reflected in his eyes. My feet moved without me telling them to, launching myself at him and throwing my arms around his waist.

"Take me home, Edward," I sobbed. "Please just take me home."

He wrapped his arms tightly around me and steered me out of the shadows of the alley.

EPOV

"Go, we can get a ride with Alice and Rose," Emmett said. I grunted my recognition, not yet trusting my voice. Bella clung to me like her life depended on it, slight sobs causing her to shake against my side.

I got her to my car as quickly as I could, neither of us saying anything. Once we were seated in the relative security of my car, her breathing slowed and she relaxed her grip on my hand slightly. As we drove, I was just barely beginning to become aware of the dull ache in my jaw and knuckles.

When we arrived at her house, we still hadn't spoken to each other. We walked in silence through her front door and up the stairs to her room. Finally she turned to me, grasping both of my hands in hers, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked her voice barely above a trembling whisper.

"Of course, I'll stay with you Bella," I said. _How could she think that I'd leave her after what happened? I don't think I could, even if she wanted me to. _

Her sparkling brown eyes locked with mine and held me there, staring down at her. Everything she wanted to say seemed to come across through her eyes; regret, pain, fear, relief, adoration, gratitude.

She managed a weak smile before rocking up onto her toes and wrapping her arms around my neck in a tight hug. Her body was so small, so petite, so fragile. I lifted her up so that her feet dangled slightly above the ground and held her firmly against my chest. I wanted to tell her everything I felt. I wanted to apologize if I'd scared her. I wanted to swear to her that I'd never let anything or anyone hurt her ever again. But I couldn't, the timing wasn't right. All I could do in that moment was hold her and pray that everything she needed to know could be expressed in our touch. I could feel every muscle in her body relax as I held her.

Finally, after a long while I set her feet back down on the floor. She flashed me another smile, this time more genuine but her eyes were suddenly tired. Without a word she unbuttoned her top and tossed it into a laundry basket across the room. Next she kicked off her boots and wiggled out of her jeans, tossing them aside as well. Once she was clad only in her bra and panties she reached up and squeezed my hand.

"Come to bed," she said softly. I couldn't help but admire the view before me. _Now is not the time…_

I smiled at her. There was no place else in the world I'd rather be than holding her in my arms in the safety of her bed. I unbuttoned my shirt and slid it off my shoulders as she pulled back the covers and slid between the sheets waiting for me. I unbuttoned my jeans and let them slide down my legs onto the floor. She sleepily patted the sheets next to her, inviting me to join her. I gladly took it and crawled under the blanket beside her. She pressed her nearly naked body against mine, her head resting on my chest and her legs wrapping around mine.

In a matter of seconds she was asleep against me and I was awake, alone with my thoughts.

Who the hell was that guy? Just a random jerk? No, it seemed like they knew each other. _How in the world would Bella know someone like that? _Had I frightened her? If I had, how could I live with myself knowing that she was afraid of me? If she _was_ scared, why had she wanted me to take her home, instead of Emmett or Alice?

I never wanted to let her go. I wanted to keep her safe for the rest of her life. I never wanted to allow any harm to ever come to her.

I sighed at myself. This had certainly been a night of firsts. It was the first time I'd ever fought someone for a girl. It was the first time I'd admitted that I had genuine feelings for Bella. And now, for the first time, I was allowing myself to entertain the idea of being with her for the rest of her life, our lives.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Bella stirring beside me. She wiggled slightly and pressed herself more tightly against my side.

"Edward," she mumbled. I looked down, ready to answer her when she spoke again.

"Edward…_hmmm…_you." _Is she talking in her sleep? _She chuckled softly, her eyes remaining closed. "Love…you…_hmm…" _she breathed.

My heart skipped a beat. _She loves me? _

She laughed softly again, and nuzzled her face into my chest.

"I love you." Her voice was as clear as it was when she was conscious; so clear that I had to double check that she was still sleeping.

_She loves me! _I smiled at the thought, before drifting off to sleep in the only place I ever wanted to lay my head for as long as I lived.

When I opened my eyes the room was bathed in the warm grayish lavender light of early morning. The next thing I was aware of was the fact that I was alone in the bed. I heard the shower running and relaxed, realizing that Bella wasn't in any danger.

I lay back on the plush pillows and tried to relax. The water in the bathroom shut off and I could hear Bella softly humming as she dried off. The door swung open and there she stood, clad in only small blue towel, her still dry hair wrapped in a loose bun on top of her head. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her, her legs and shoulders still glistening with a slight sheen of moisture in the pale morning light. I sat up to get a better look at the goddess standing before me.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to wake you up," she said, a gorgeous shade of rosy pink flooding her cheeks.

"S'okay," I replied running a hand nervously through my hair. I was trying not to stare blatantly as the undeniably tempting sight in front of me but she certainly wasn't making it easy. I watched as she released her hair and let it fall in soft wavy curls around her shoulders and took a few steps toward me. I let my head slump forward onto my chest to avoid her noticing how my gaze traced over her delicate curves and trained my eyes on my hands to keep them from wandering.

She placed her soft hands on either side of my face to tilt my head up to look at her. She was standing so close, her body situated between my spread legs; so close that I could smell the clean, sweet, floral fragrance of her soap radiating off of her skin.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked when my face was level with hers. _I'm thinking about how badly I want to rip that towel off of you but also how doing that would make a complete and total asshole. _

"Nothing," I lied. If she only knew the not so PG thoughts that were running through my mind, she might think twice before asking me to share her bed again. Then something nonsexual that I was curious about occurred to me.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" she responded while lazily running her fingers through my unruly hair. I took in a shuddering breath, trying not to focus on the sensations she was sending through my body with such a simple action.

"Why did you want me to take you home last night? Why not Alice?" I asked.

She smiled at me like it was a silly question.

"Because I feel safe with you. The safest, actually. Can I ask you something now?"

"Shoot."

"Why did you do what you did? You know you didn't have to."

I stared up at her in disbelief. My mind was struggling to comprehend the words that had just left her mouth.

"First of all," I began, once I'd gotten my thoughts in order, "yes I did have to. Of course I did, he was going to hurt you. Second of all, I did what I did because I care about you."

"Why? You hardly know me." Her face was drawn, her eyes clouded over like she was trying to hide something from me.

"That's true, but I want to know you better. I want to know everything there is to know about you." I looked her dead in the eye as the words left my mouth. The clouded expression on her face shifted as a slow grin crept across her face. I opened my mouth to say something else but before I could make a sound, her lips were pressed firmly against mine and her fingers were twisted tightly in my hair.

I kept my hands firmly tucked against my legs to keep them from wandering where they shouldn't, but allowed myself to fully enjoy the feeling of her luscious lips pressed against mine and the way her body seemed to melt into me as she pulled herself closer. I let her have the upper hand in this situation, and was careful not to allow my growing desires to influence her to do anything that she wasn't comfortable with. _Just let her lead, and see where it goes. _When her tongue darted out to caress my lower I let out a slight groan, but I had to let her know that I didn't expect any of this from her. I needed to know that she was kissing me because she wanted to, not because she felt like she had to after last night.

"Bella?" I mumbled against her lips.

"Hmmm?" she moaned into my mouth.

"You…don't… have to… if you… don't want.. ," I said between kisses. "You…don't…owe…me… anything."

She pulled her lips away and rested her forehead against mine.

"Listen, because I'm only going to say this once. First of all, I do owe you. I owe you big, but _this_," she pointed her finger back and forth between us, "this is not payback. I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that I want nothing more than I want you right now." And with that, she pressed her lips back against mine, this time stealthily easing her tongue past my slightly parted lips.

_She wants me! Holy shit, she wants me! _My insides cheered. At her admittance, I granted my hands a little wandering room and let them run gently up the back of her silky smooth legs until they reached the bottom of her towel.

I gasped when I felt her softly bite my swollen bottom lip and tug at it slightly with her teeth.

"Actually," she whispered, bringing her deep brown eyes up to meet my hazy stare, "I _do_ have to pay you back for what you gave me the other night." Her seductive pout twisted into a mischievous grin and she began peppering my skin with slow warm kisses. Each kiss led her lower and lower down my torso, over my chest and abs until she was on her knees in front of me.

My breathing was coming in quick bursts in anticipation for what she was going to do next. Her hand closed around the growing bulge in my boxers and began to gently massage my hardness. She hooked her fingers around the elastic around the top and tugged them down allowing my extremely hard dick to spring out.

"Wow…" I heard her whisper as her eyes traced up and down my length and my ego took a flying leap into the stratosphere.

I looked down just in time to see her full pink lips press a warm wet kiss on the sensitive head of my dick, before taking nearly half it into her burning mouth.

"Oh shit, Bella," I gasped.

She began bobbing her head up and down taking more of me into her mouth with every pass. I gently took a handful of her silky hair and held it away from her face so that I could get a better view of her amazingly full lips sliding up and down my shaft. I couldn't help but notice the swelling of my heart coupled with the feeling of pleasure she was giving me. _I could really fall in love with this girl…_

The feeling of her mouth wrapped around me was incredible. I was nearly sent over the edge when I felt my head nudge the back of her throat and I knew she'd taken all of me in. The tension in the pit of my stomach was beginning to build and I was hyper sensitive to all of the swirling motions of her tongue and the gentle suction of her lips around me. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, she started to hum. Not loud enough for me to hear, but just enough to encase my cock in pulsing vibrations. That did it; I couldn't hold myself back any longer.

"Fuck, Bella I'm gonna…" I stammered, unable to finish my sentence. It was always courtesy to give the girl a heads up before you blow so that she at least has the option of choosing whether or not to continue. I could totally understand a girl's aversion to swallowing, but I, like every guy on the planet did with their girlfriends, secretly hoped that she'd take me. There was just something primal about a woman swallowing your cum that drove me crazy.

In a matter of seconds, I felt myself explode; rip into a million pieces with the feeling of ecstasy as I moaned.

I opened my eyes and watched her lick a few stray drops of my milky cream off of her lips and smile at me. My body collapsed back on the bed and I closed my eyes feeling completely drained and spent.

Immediately, I felt her crawl up on top me and whisper, "You're not tired, are you? Because I'm wide awake."

BPOV

His eyes popped open as soon as the words left my mouth.

"Not a chance," he growled as he easily tossed me back onto my pillows.

He hovered over me, his eyes dark with desire and his chest rising and falling with quick, ragged breathing. In one swift motion, he stripped me of the flimsy towel that was still wrapped around me and I lay completely exposed beneath him. His eyes roamed hungrily over my body, taking in every swell and curve in his lustful stare.

"God, you are so beautiful," he breathed before sliding his hand between my already spread legs. He pressed his palm against my mound and I bit my lip at the pressure.

He slid his index finger between my folds and said, "Mmm… already nice and wet. Did that turn you on, gorgeous?" His voice was low and husky and I nodded my head quickly in response. _You have no idea how much of a turn on that was…_

He positioned himself at my entrance and hesitated. I wiggled my hips toward him, trying to gain access to the sensation I wanted to badly.

"Anxious, are we?" he whispered, his lips suddenly at my ear.

"Yes, I want you more than anything," I breathed, surprised in the way my voice came out as more of a whine.

Thankfully he didn't make me beg because in the next instant he sank at least half of his impressive length into me. I gasped as he filled me like no other man before him had, and rolled my head back onto my pillow. He began a slow rolling motion with his hips, sliding just a bit more of his cock into me with each thrust until I'd taken him all.

"You're so fucking tight, Bella," he panted.

"Faster, Edward. Please faster…" I begged and he obliged me, immediately increasing his pace.

I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist and marveled at the feeling of him sinking even deeper into my wet center. I was moaning now, with each crash of our hips together and so was he. I dug my fingers into the tensed muscles of his back as the tension in my stomach began to build.

"Relax," he whispered in my ear as he slid one hand down to rest on my hip. I released my scissor hold on his waist slightly and he slid his hand between us to where we were joined at my core.

"I'm gonna make you cum, Bella," he whispered again before sucking hungrily on my neck. I whimpered and bit my lip as his expert fingers began furiously stroking my aching clit while he continued to pound his cock into me. I bit my lip to contain the screams of pleasure that was threatening to escape my mouth.

"Does that feel good?" he asked, nipping at my ear lobe.

"God, yes," I gasped as my hips bucked against him involuntarily.

"Cum for me then," he demanded, his voice husky and deep in my ear.

My body responded immediately, uncoiling the spring in my stomach, sending me flying over the edge of passion. I felt my muscles clamp down hard around him inside of me as my body shook and bucked against him.

"Edward, oh god, Edward. I'm cumming!" I cried.

"Fuck," he groaned as his muscles tensed and I felt him spill his warmth into me.

"I love you," he rasped before collapsing onto the bed next to me.

* * *

**A/N: What?! What did he just say?! Oh snap...**

Yeah so, while the power and internet were down I've pretty much got the next chapter already planned out it's just a matter of finding the time to actually sit down and type it considering tear I have class starting on tuesday.

Btw, the reviews for the last chapter were super overwhelming. Thank you so much to those who reviewed. I hope this chapter will get as many if not more.

So... musical inspiration for this chapter is the greatest stalker song ever written #1 Crush by Garbage. Again, the link to all music is on my profile.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Gah! This chapter took way longer than I'd expected to put out. I think I need a Beta, anyone want to volunteer for the job? Anywho, here comes the return of crazy!**

* * *

BPOV

_Wait, what? Did he just…?  
_  
EPOV

In the last 8 hours I had gone from the lowest low to the highest high; from seeing Bella pinned to the wall by that guy to… well… to having the most incredible sex with the most incredible woman. And there I was, lying peacefully in her bed, holding the most angelic creature on earth in my arms. There was nothing about her I didn't love; her laugh, her sense of humor, her intelligence, her smile, the sound of her voice, her smell._Good god, her smell…_ I breathed deeply drawing in the lingering scent of her heady arousal that still hung in the air. I knew then that I could die at that moment and be completely content.

_What in the hell has this girl done to me?_ I definitely wasn't the same Edward I'd been a week ago. I wasn't judgmental in feeling that no girl would ever live up to my expectations. Bella has. I wasn't jaded by the fact that I was devoid of non-psychotic female company. Bella has captured my heart completely._Is this possible? Can it really  
happen this fast?_ I always thought falling in love was something that took months, years… but this… this was more than anything I could have ever imagined._Suddenly I've turned into a complete sap, apparently._

I opened my eyes to find Bella's beautiful face staring at me with a perplexed expression. One of her eyebrows was raised and her mouth was pressed into a hard line. Her eyes searched my face for some unspoken answer that, by the looks of it, she was having a hard time finding.

"What?" I asked, coming out of my reverie.

"Umm…" she said as she bit her plump lip nervously.

"What is it?" I chuckled, propping myself up on my elbow to look down at her stunning form still naked beside me.

"I don't know what to say," she said before taking her lip between her teeth again.

"You don't have to say anything," I assured her as I placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Well maybe you should. You can't just throw out things like that, in that context, without any follow up." She wouldn't look me directly in the eye as she spoke.

"Throw what out there? I'm confused," It was the truth; I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Yeah, me too," she breathed.

"Am I missing something here?"

She sat up, tucked her legs under herself, and crossed her arms over her chest. The position did little to cover her breathtaking body from my wandering eyes but I tried to keep my focus on her face.

"Wow, okay… so you tell me you love me and what, that's it?" she pulled her crossed arms tighter over her chest, pushing her full breasts together. I had to stifle a groan before her words sank in.

"I did what?" I blurted.

"Ouch. Thanks for that," she smiled weakly as she pulled a pillow into her lap to cover herself. I could tell she was trying to joke but there was hurt written all over her face. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to think._Oh god, I did say that I loved her! Why did I do  
that? Shit_! In my euphoria in the situation I'd let my feelings slip out without thinking._I_ knew I'd fallen in love with her, but I certainly hadn't intended to tell her by blurting it out in a rush during sex.

"I'm just gonna get dressed." Her cheeks flamed scarlet as she refused to meet my gaze again. She scooted towards the edge of the bed carefully clutching the pillow in front of her.

"Bella," I pleaded, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Listen, I get it. Let's just admit that that was fun and now its over, okay? Just leave it alone." I could see the tears pooling in her eyes and she struggled against my grasp. How had things turned sour so fast?_Because of my stupid fucking mouth!_ I had to fix it. I had to let her know that, despite the circumstances, I was telling the truth.

"Hey," I whispered, pulling her closer and pressing my lips to her ear. "I meant what I said." A soft shudder ran down her body as she melted against my chest.

"Really?" she whispered breathlessly.

I effortlessly pulled her onto my lap and nuzzled my face into her hair.

"Yes really. I'm sorry for how I said it, and I'm sorry that you made me feel so good I lost all coherency and I blurted out my deepest secret. But that doesn't make it any less true." She let out a long breath and relaxed further in my arms.

"Secrets…" she mused.

"I do love you, Bella. It's okay if you don't say it back. I know it's really soon. I'm just glad you know how I feel about you." I_was_ glad. I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders now that she knew exactly where I stood.

I didn't know how long we could stay like that, holding each other. I didn't know how much time I had before she freaked out and pushed me away, so I tried to savor the way her naked body felt cradled in my arms and the smell of her luminous hair.

"In all fairness, you did say it first. But I don't think you were aware of it." I laughed slightly at the memory of her sleep talking.

Her head snapped up to look at me squarely. "Huh?"

"I think you must have been dreaming," I said smiling.

"Ugh… my subconscious betrays me again," she grumbled before placing her head back on my shoulder.

My hands wandered over her body like I was a blind man and she was my brail. I stroked her hair, her graceful back, her curvaceous hips and toned thighs. She sighed at my touch and I couldn't help but bask in the sound of her contentment. I wanted nothing more than to make her happy._People back home would hardly recognize me now…_

"I love you too, Edward," she whispered suddenly, so softly that I almost wondered if I'd imagined it. Then, I felt her slowly, softly trace the tip of her nose over the skin of my neck and along the edge of my jaw until her our faces were level. She locked her eyes with mine in an impossibly mesmerizing stare for a long moment before capturing my lips in a tender, lingering kiss. I tightened my arms around her and pulled my angel closer to my chest.

It was amazing how perfect she felt there, now naturally her body molded against me, how we just seemed to fit.

"I love you," she whispered against my lips, before curving hers into that heart stopping smile that I loved so much.

"I love you," I replied. "I'll say it a million times and it'll never get old," I chuckled.

She shifted her weight so that she was now straddling my lap, her legs wrapped delicately around my waist. She gasped against my mouth, suddenly realizing that we were both still naked and that her kisses had 'awakened' me again.

"Mmm… Good morning," she sighed with a wiggle of her hips. I stifled a groan.

"That's not nice, Bella," I growled, nipping at her lip with my teeth.

"What are you gonna do about it?" she challenged with a cocked eyebrow and a lopsided grin.

She didn't have to ask me twice. It had only been a few short minutes since I was last inside her but it felt like it had been a decade and my body longed to be whole by adjoining itself to her once again. I gripped her hips and lifted her slightly as she snaked her slender arms around my neck and laced her fingers in my hair. I brought her down slowly allowing myself to enter her gradually, inch by inch.

"Edward," she moaned as she tossed her head back leaving the creamy skin of her neck and throat completely exposed. I seized the opportunity and pressed my lips against the smooth flesh, kissing and sucking on every inch my lips could touch.

This time, I made love to her, slow, passionate and incredible. She gently rocked and swiveled her hips against me and I held her as close as I could without causing her physical pain. As we moved, her lips were either locked with mine or whispering my name in between soft mewls of pleasure.

We continued on this way for a long time until our bodies were slick with sweat and she began begging me for release.

I obliged her when she pushed my shoulders back until I was resting on the soft coils of her mattress. Grinning beautifully from ear to ear, I watched intently as Bella took my hands in hers and placed them firmly on her voluptuous breasts. She sucked in a quick breath when I simultaneously rolled both her hardened peaks between my thumb and forefinger in each hand. It was then my turn to hiss when she started bouncing enthusiastically on top of me, sliding my stiff shaft in and out of her wet heat.

I grazed one hand down her abdomen as it flexed and released from her movements until I reached the V between her legs. As she lifted up I slid my fingers between us until I found her bundle of nerves and began working it with as much fervor as I could.

She moaned and gasped for a moment before I felt her walls clench around me and her body erupted into wave after wave of spastic euphoria. I couldn't have held back my own release at that moment even if I tried. I clenched my jaw and tensed my abs as I exploded for the second time that morning.

"Mmm…Edward, yesss," she cried as her orgasm came to an end and she collapsed onto my chest.

I brushed her hair off of her dampened brow and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I could get used to this," she sighed.

"Me too," I replied.

"Edward, I think I should tell you something…about last night, that maybe you should know." Her voice was different now, somewhat hesitant and nervous again.

"Bella, you don't have to explain anything to me about that. It doesn't matter."

She sat up, still straddling me. I did the same and wrapped my arms loosely around her hips.

"No, it does matter. I need you to understand… who_he_ was." She bit her lip again._God, I love it when she does that…_

After taking a few deep breaths, she began to speak.

"His name's James, he was my lab partner last semester. He was always flirting with me and I… I sort of cheated on Jake… with him." Her eyes roamed the room, eager to look anywhere but my face.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" I asked. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a slight pang in my gut at her revelation._It was before. It doesn't matter now._

"Jake and I got in a fight and for some reason I went to James. He…he kissed me and I let him." She took a few steadying breaths before continuing.

"It didn't go any further than that but… that didn't stop him from trying. Even after that night. He wanted us to be, I don't know… fuck buddies, I guess- while Jake and I were still together." She shuddered at the thought.

"He was angry, and drunk, and that's why he…" I placed a finger on her lips to cut her off.

"Bella, let me get this straight. You were hurt and vulnerable after your fight so you went to a guy that you knew liked you. And_he_ kissed_you_. Do I have that right?"

She nodded weakly.

"Bella it was just a kiss. Something that happened in the heat of the moment. I'd hardly consider that cheating." I tightened my grip on her hips.

She lifted her face to let her beautiful brown eyes look into my green ones.

"Would_you_ want me kissing some other guy?" she asked incredulously.

_Fuck no!_ My insides twisted into painful knots at the very thought of Bella's lips near anyone else's.

"I didn't think so," she said. My expression must have answered her question.

"No, I wouldn't want you going around kissing other guys. But it hardly seems as bad as you're making it out to be. And it certainly doesn't give him the right to do what he did to you."

"I know that. I'm not making excuses for him. I just felt like I should explain how the whole thing came about, seeing as how you're involved now, and all."

I kissed the tip of her nose, partly to ease her nerves and partly to ease mine.

"The worst part…" she whispered as she pressed her forehead against mine, "is that I never told him. You're the first."

I took a moment to collect my thoughts before I spoke again._She was vulnerable and he took advantage of her. He's to blame in this situation, not her. She obviously feels bad about it, she didn't do anything wrong._ I rationalized the situation to myself. I had to push the nagging mental images of her kissing that slimy asshole out of my mind before I punched my fist through her wall.

"Bella listen to me. It's not like you went out looking for someone to hook up with while you and Jake were together. You didn't consciously set out to hurt anyone. The bottom line is that he took advantage of you when you were hurt. I don't care what you did before, all I care about is right now. We all make mistakes and have done things we aren't proud of but eventually we have to put our pasts behind us."

I felt a slight tug in my chest._You're such a hypocrite, Cullen. She comes clean about something in her past and you don't have the balls to tell her about what you did to Kayla?_

I swallowed back the bile that was suddenly stinging my throat._Tell her!_

"Bella, there's something I need to-" She crashed her lips against mine with excited passion.

"I love you," she mumbled before deepening the kiss and sweeping her tongue over my lips.

_Maybe some other time…_

I ran my hands up and down her back, memorizing the smooth texture of her creamy skin while she ran her fingers through my hair.

It was my need for air that finally caused me to break our embrace.

"Is it okay if I use your shower, love?" I panted.

"Of course," she breezed before swinging her legs off of my lap and onto the carpeted floor. "There are towels under the sink."

She slinked over to her dresser and began rummaging for something to wear, completely unashamed that she was still standing naked in the morning sunlight. I took one more lingering glace at how sexy she was before excusing myself into her bathroom.

BPOV

I love you.

Now those are words I'll never get tired of hearing, especially from him.

Here I was thinking that my irrational crush was completely one-sided when all the time he felt the same way about me. But it wasn't just a crush; I knew_that_ from day one. Moment one, actually. I knew all along that what I felt for Edward in the short time I'd known him was much, much more than anything I'd ever felt for Jake, or any other guy I'd dated.

_Please don't let this be a dream…_

As I slipped on a pair of simple black cotton panties, I couldn't stop my thoughts from wandering back to the memory of his expert fingers gently caressing what was now hidden behind the soft fabric. I'd already had him twice that morning and already I wanted him again.

I dressed quickly in just a t-shirt and jeans and sat down at my computer to distract myself from the dirty thoughts about the man in my shower that were bombarding my brain.

I loaded my facebook page to catch up on the social scene. A little red box popped up in the lower right hand corner of my screen indicating that I had a new notification.

"Edward Cullen wants to be your friend" the little box explained when I clicked on it.

_Cullen! Ha, now I know._ I felt myself blush at the knowledge that I openly and completely loved a man whose last name I hadn't known until that very moment.

I accepted his friend request and loaded his profile page.

The picture was like something that could have been used in some sort of ad campaign for cologne something, anything that women would want to buy. Edward was sitting at a piano, his amazingly long fingers spread out across the keys. He was wearing low slung jeans, no shirt, and his hair was unruly, as usual, and hanging in his mesmerizing eyes. The image of him sitting there was beyond hot, it was… there aren't even words to describe it.

I clicked on the link to see more pictures of him. There weren't many and the ones that_were_ there were added by other people. There were a few of him with a guy tagged as Derek Logan, who I assumed was Edward's old roommate that he'd mentioned a few times. Most of the pictures were of Edward, Derek and a few other guys, in bars or playing video games nothing too spectacular. There were a few that dated back to his high school days that showed him with his arms around a tall girl with sandy blond hair. The photo was tagged as Samantha Chase. I figured she must be the girlfriend he'd broken up with right after high school. There were a few pictures of Edward with other girls, mostly of them kissing him on the cheek of snuggling close to his side and smiling smugly into the camera. As irritated as those particular pictures made me there were two that stuck in my head; one was of Edward and a skinny redhead playing pool. He was standing behind her guiding her shot with his large hands with his lips pressed close to her ear. She was smiling wistfully and her ass was pressed firmly into his groin. The other was of the same girl perched on his lap, her arms laced tightly around his neck and her thin lips pressed against his deliciously full ones. The girl in the picture was marked Kayla Goodman.

I don't know why those pictures stuck with me. It wasn't like I thought Edward had lived like a priest before he met me. Hell, he already told me that he'd slept with more people than I had. That didn't matter to me. There was something about_her_ that bothered me. I tried to push it out of my mind._I don't know that girl. She liked Edward so at least I know she's got taste._

I went back to his main profile page to leave a little message on his wall when another uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. The last five wall posts were from that girl. One from as recent as last night, by looking at the time stamp, while he had been dancing with me.

"I miss you so much. I think about you every day."

"Call me soon, I miss the sound of your voice."

"Things aren't the same without you here."

"I was in the shower this morning, thinking about you. Call me."

"I was lonely last night. I wish you could have come over."

My stomach clenched. Then my possessive bitchy side flared up._Wow, this girl is 10 kinds of pathetic; pining over a guy on the other side of the continent._ Stop it… I don't even know her, I'd probably be saying the same things if Edward moved away from me.

Then I heard buzzing sound from somewhere on the floor in our pile of discarded clothes. I hopped up from the desk, determined to push my unfounded insecurities aside, and went to retrieve the source of the buzzing. I rummaged through the pockets of my jeans to find my phone and flipped it open. Nothing. I reached into the pocket of Edward's to find his and flipped it open. 1 New Text Message.

Just then, I heard the water turn off and the sounds of movement from within the bathroom.

"Edward," I called.

"Yeah?" he asked after cracking the door and flashing me that heart melting crooked smile of his.

I gulped._I've got to learn how to think straight when he's around._

"Umm… you just got a text message."

"Will you see who it's from? Probably just Emmett or Jasper."

I pressed "okay" and a message flashed onto the tiny screen.

From: Kayla  
Message: My bed feels so empty without you in it.

My heart hiccupped and butterflies sprang forth in my stomach.

"Its from K-Kayla." I said, as calmly as I could.

He flung the door open and sprinted to where I stood. He took the phone from my outstretched hand and quickly deleted the message. His face was suddenly flushed and his hands were trembling slightly.

He closed then phone with a loud snap that caused me to jump and turned to me with a forced smile on his face.

"Who's Kayla?" I wondered innocently. I did my best to keep all jealousy or possessiveness out of my tone.

"Nobody," he stated, all too quickly. "Just someone I knew from back home."

I wanted to believe him, but something inside of me told me there were thing he wasn't telling me.

**So? Kayla's not out of the picture. Nope. Please review if you have any suggestions as to what should happen next. **

**Musical inspiration for this chapter is Sexy Boy by Air because, hello? Is Edward not the sexiest boy there is? As always, the link to the music is on my profile. **

**Review away! It makes me happy :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Just a quick thank you to my my Beta, Artee of Artee and Sporky for being awesome and crazy fast! **

**Hey, the last chapter marked 10,000 hits for this story!! You guys are fantastic and make me feel absolutely amazing. Tell your friends to check it out and I'll give you a delicious cyber cookie :)**

**So, we've got a little more drama in this chapter, kids. **

BPOV

I pasted a smile to my face but wasn't sure how much good it did to mask the war that was being waged between my brain and my heart.

My brain told me that there was definitely something that Edward was keeping from me, and it had everything to do with_ her_. It told me that I really didn't have much reason to be angry; he wasn't my boyfriend, we hadn't declared ourselves as anything and he certainly hadn't asked me to be something more. I was mostly angry at myself for just assuming that there wasn't some girl anxiously awaiting his return home.

My heart only had one argument: he said 'I love you'. Doesn't that supersede something as trivial as the title of 'girlfriend'? Shouldn't the fact that he loved me be more important than what I was called?_ But does he really?_ And I loved him, doesn't that mean so much more?

My brain had a much more rational, convincing platform.

I didn't have anything to say. I didn't trust my voice even if the words could come.

I watched him get dressed in the same discarded clothes from the night before in silence. By the look of it, he seemed to be having his own internal battle as well._ Me or her? Her or me?  
_  
Could Edward really be a 'girl on both coasts' kind of guy? He didn't seem like the type, but then again, what did I know? My heart fell at the reminder that, despite my extremely strong feelings, I really knew nothing about him. I internally berated myself again for not even considering the fact that he might not even be single. Was it possible that all this, the guy I thought I was getting to know, could be an act? My stomach heaved at the thought.

It was official; I'd been played. I'd been played by the most beautiful, spectacularly talented player in the game. I guessed that this was just how it was going to be with us, our cycle: sleep together, tell me he loves me, break my heart, sleep together, tell me  
he loves me, break my heart. I was determined to not let the cycle repeat itself again. I was determined to be rational for the first time since meeting him.

I was pulled out of my troubling thoughts by Edward wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

"Are you alright, beautiful?" he purred in my ear.

"_Mmmm Hmmm_…" I hummed the lie, not trusting my voice not to give away my inner anguish.

He pulled me more tightly against his stone chest and brushed his lips along my jaw.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered, softly. I was acutely aware of the strain in his voice, and it made my heart ache.

_Don't, please don't…it hurts too much when you lie_. I wanted to say, but my voice still failed me. Instead, I squeezed my eyes shut and let my head lull back onto his shoulder. This may very well be the last time I could stand him touching me like this, and I wanted to etch it into my memory forever.

EPOV

_Why now! Why in the hell does she have to show back up in my life now!_

It had been almost a month since I'd last heard anything out of Kayla. No texts, no phone calls, no nothing. I'd actually been able to pack up my life in Washington in peace without her constant interruptions, which surprised me. But of course, just when I thought I was rid of her forever she decides to make an appearance. And_ of course_, she'd have to make her existence known to Bella. It was just like every other girl I'd even looked at over the last seven months. If I so much as talked to a girl, Kayla would seem to materialize out of nowhere and throw herself at me, thus effectively scaring the girl away.

I was a coward. I couldn't bring myself to just explain who she was, I couldn't face the disappointment I knew I'd see reflected in Bella's eyes when I did. So instead, I got dressed in silence, and tried to decide the best course of action to pursue next.

I let my eyes shift over to where the woman I loved stood after I had dressed. She stared off into space while chewing her lip. She knew;she had to know_. Of course she doesn't, she just suspects… something._ My stomach dropped. She had every reason to suspect that something was amiss. Even if I tried to assure her that it was nothing, my reaction to Kayla's text message would certainly do little to help my cause.

Immediately, I wanted to comfort her fears, to tell her that she had nothing to worry about. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back to my chest.

"Are you alright, beautiful?" I asked in my most soothing voice.

"_Mmmm Hmmm…"_

I knew she was lying.

There was a burning desire in the pit of my stomach to tell her everything, to come completely clean, but when I opened my mouth to speak, I felt like I'd swallowed a mouthful of sand. I physically couldn't force myself to form the words that would surely make her hate me.

_Such a god damned__coward!_

Instead I just held her for a moment, savored her scent and her feel against me.

"I love you, Bella," I whispered after placing a few soft kisses along her jaw line. Those were the only words I could say. I just hoped they'd be enough.

After a while she extricated herself from my arms and moved toward the door. She opened it slowly and sauntered down the stairs with me following closely at her heels.

I had not expected to see the scene that was stretched out in the living room.

Emmett was sprawled on the sofa, his legs propped up on the coffee table; Rose asleep with her head in his lap. Alice and Jasper were snuggled close together in the overstuffed recliner, seemingly asleep as well.

BPOV

"Morning," Alice groaned without opening her eyes.

"Morning," I grumbled back.

Her eyes popped open to look at me and then darted over to Edward, then back to me again. She stared with narrowed eyes before shaking Jasper awake.

"Wake up, sleepy head. We're getting breakfast," she sang, all too chipper for this ungodly hour.

"Breakfast?" Emmett asked, groggily.

"Could you guys please, stop yelling?!" Rose groaned, squeezing her eyes more tightly shut.

"Nothing beats a hang over like greasy breakfast food, Rosie," Emmett laughed.

_Rosie? That's new._

I'd have thought it was funny if I weren't already so pissed at myself for my gullibility.

"Breakfast sounds good, right?" Edward smiled at me. I felt my mouth twitch in response. He quickly picked up on my mood and reached out to squeeze my hand.

Tears were welling up in my eyes and I fought to keep them back.

_Stop messing with my head, Edward! It isn't fair!_

Once everyone was awake, we all stumbled out to Edward's and Emmett's cars. I started to get in the Jeep with Emmett and Rose, but got the distinct impression that they would rather be alone. I turned around and reached for the back door of Edward's Volvo but Alice insisted that the "couples" should sit together.

I groaned at the idea of Edward and I being a couple. As much as I wanted it to be true, I knew there was simply no way. _I absolutely will not share._

He held my hand as he drove, which only broke my heart a little more.

_I know there's someone else, he doesn't have to be cruel. Love is so unfair._

Even though I knew I'd been played, the love I felt for him had not diminished. If anything my heart was staging its last stand in the battle against logic and was pulsing more intensely with desire for what I could never truly have.

The diner was busy and loud, and we had to wait a little while for a table large enough to seat six.

I tried to keep my distance from Edward while we waited but he became a constant presence at my side. Eventually I gave up trying to escape him and decided to just enjoy the events of the last morning we'd ever spend together.

When we were finally seated, we all fell into easy conversation, like we always did. Something seemed to have happened between Emmett and Rose in my absence because Rose's flirting was completely on point and Emmett, well Emmett was just putty in her hands.

I hardly noticed when Edward wrapped his arm around me and pulled my chair closer to his; it just felt so natural. After all, it was what I wanted. I wanted to be close to him, no matter how much I knew it would hurt in the end. He would stroke my arm, or run his fingers through my hair, or lean in to place soft kisses on my cheek and it wasn't long before my heart forced my brain to stop arguing. I melted into him, into the warmth radiating off of his incredible skin, and his breathtaking smile.

"So, Edward, do you have any plans tomorrow?" Alice asked with an innocent smile.

"Whatever Bella's doing," he answered, not taking his eyes off of me.

"Good, well Bella's coming to the beach tomorrow to celebrate your birthday," she said.

"Am I?" I questioned.

"Of course you are! Didn't_ you_ tell us that Edward's birthday was coming up? And seeing as how we are the only people in town that he knows we are morally obligated to make his first Florida birthday a memorable one_. Soo…_we're driving down to the point in the morning to hang out at my parent's beach house." She seemed rather pleased with her plans and I couldn't argue; some of my best memories came from trips to Alice's beach house and it_ was_ Edward's birthday.

As breakfast wore on, we all chatted about tomorrow's trip and recounted stories from previous ones. We laughed hysterically, and it wasn't long before all my worries from earlier that morning were forgotten; at least for the moment.

We wrapped up our meal and I insisted on paying for Edward's.

"_This_ can be your repayment, okay?" I pleaded. He just sighed and pushed the check toward me.

As I was pulling my wallet out of my purse I heard Edward's phone begin to buzz. He glanced at the caller ID and a wide smile flickered onto his face.

"I'm gonna go outside and take this call. I'll meet you out front, okay?" He kissed me softly on the lips before practically sprinting for the door without waiting for me to answer.

"So funny thing happened this morning," Alice smirked at me once Edward was out of earshot. "I woke up early to check on you and make sure you were okay after last night. And what do I hear coming from your room? Oh just the sounds of hot crazy sex!"

"Ughh… Alice, come on…" I groaned.

"Bella, you didn't!" Rose exclaimed in delight.

"Can we not talk about this now, please?" I begged, tossing a sideways glance at Emmett and Jasper.

"Oh don't mind us," Emmett joked.

"So," Rose said, leaning across the table toward me, "are you guys together now or what?"

"I… I don't know. We haven't talked about it." I wasn't being untruthful. We _hadn't_ talked about it. But I wasn't going to tell them that_ that_ particular conversation would never happen because he was already spoken for.

"Well you better get on it, girl!" Alice teased. "Edward's great, we all think so. And he makes you happy, which is all that really matters. Plus, I think I see the 'L' word in your very near future." She flashed me a knowing smile.

She was right. He_ did_ make me happy, and that_ was_ all that mattered. We could keep things casual between us, right? I was hurt, but I didn't like the thought of loosing him either. There was something inside of me that_ needed_ him. There had to be a way that I could be around him and not…

"He already loves you, you know?" Jasper said, interrupting my thoughts.

"He told you that?" I asked, hopeful.

"He doesn't have to. I'm just… perceptive I guess. He looks at you the way I look at Alice. He's definitely got it bad."

I couldn't help the smile that crept over my face. As conflicted as I was, the idea of Edward _actually_ being in love with me made me want to burst with joy.

"I need to run to the little girl's room, anyone care to join me?" Alice asked after the waitress had returned our cards.

"Sure. Bella?" Rose asked.

"I'm good. I'm gonna go see where Edward ran off to," I said with a smile and practically skipped toward the door with Emmett and Jasper following close behind.

I pushed open the glass door of the restaurant that led to the parking lot but didn't see him anywhere, but I heard him; his velvety voice had a definite smile to it as it drifted toward me from around the corner.

"I know, I know," he said with a laugh.

I walked toward the beautiful sound.

"Yes, I miss you too."

I stopped dead in my tracks and listened.

"Of course, I'd love it if you came to visit."

A moment passed as he listened to the other end of the line.

"I love you too. I'll see you soon."

I felt my heart shudder to a halt. _She_ was coming _here_. He said he loved her. He ran out because he didn't want me to hear.

The tears I'd been fighting all morning stung my eyes and my brain rejoiced in finally winning the battle.

He came around the corner as he snapped his phone shut, a pleasant smile spread across his ever-so-kissable lips.

"Hey guys, are we ready to go?" he asked in an almost sing-song voice.

His expression changed the moment he laid eyes on me.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He questioned tenderly, his voice laden with concern.

A strangled croak was the only sound I was able to make.

At that moment, Alice and Rose emerged from the restaurant and immediately sensed the tension in the situation.

"Bella honey, are you okay?" Rose asked, placing a hand delicately on my arm.

"I-" I swallowed hard. "I'm riding back with you and Emmett." I spluttered.

"Okay…" she replied, confused and led me away from the scene before my tears started to flow ceaselessly down my cheeks.

EPOV

During breakfast Bella seemed to move past the small encounter with Kayla this morning. The apprehension she had towards being close to me melted away and I was extremely relieved.

She insisted she pay for my meal, and I only agreed to save any further tension between us.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I cringed, afraid to see my worst fears confirmed; that Kayla wouldn't just go away like I wished she would.

I was immediately relieved when I looked at the caller ID. An excited smile crept across my face. _Exactly the person I want to talk to…_

"I'm gonna go outside and take this call. I'll meet you out front, okay?" I told Bella before gently kissing her soft lips. I was so enthused to catch this call; I couldn't even stand to wait for her to respond before I practically bounded out the front door.

"Hey Mom!" I greeted cheerfully when I was finally out of the noisy diner.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you? Are you settling in okay?" My mother cooed over the phone.

"Yeah, actually I am. I've met some really awesome people and Mom… I met the most amazing girl," I gushed.

"Oh Edward, that's wonderful. Tell me about her!"

"Her name is Bella and she's," I sighed, "She's just amazing. Mom, she's so beautiful, and smart, and funny, and, everything! I can't wait for you to meet her."

"She must really be something; you've never wanted us to meet any of your girlfriends before."

"She's nothing like any of the other girls, believe me."

"I'm so happy for you. Be good to her, she sounds like quite a catch. Now listen honey, the reason why I called is because your father and I want to make sure that you're getting along okay down there."

"I know, I know," I said. My mother always worries too much.

"We just miss you so much, Edward. This has really been hard on us."

"I know; I miss you too."

"So, getting right to it, we'd really like to pop down for a quick visit. Your father said it wouldn't be a problem to leave his classes with his TA's for a few days and my clients can wait. That is, if it's alright with you. We don't want to impose on you too much."

"Of course, I'd love it if you came to visit." It was the truth. I wanted my parents to understand that my moving here was the best possible thing I could have done. I had an awesome apartment, great friends, and most of all, I had Bella.

"Sweetheart, that's wonderful! Your Father will be so excited. I'll start making reservations right away and let you know as soon as everything is finalized. I love you, Edward. Be sweet to that girl!"

I chuckled to myself.

"I love you too. I'll see you soon."

A visit from my parents wouldn't normally have excited me so much, but I wanted them to truly understand the appeal this place had for me. I wanted them to know just how happy I was since I'd moved to Florida; a happiness that was one hundred percent attributed to my having found the woman of my dreams.

I came around the corner of the building and was startled to find Bella standing there, seemingly dumbstruck, with Emmett and Jasper close behind.

"Hey guys, are we ready to go?" I asked. I looked at Bella and was shocked to find her eyes swimming with tears. "Bella, what's wrong?" Had something happened in the few short minutes I'd been away from her?

Alice and Rose burst through the door of the restaurant and onto the strange scene at the corner of the building.

She coughed out a guttural sound, steeped in pain. _What in the hell is going on?_

My thoughts raced. _Did I do something? Did something happen? Is__she hurt somehow?_

"Bella honey, are you okay?" Rose asked.

"I- I'm riding back with you and Emmett." She choked as her eyes came to settle on mine, burning fiery holes into my corneas.

And then it dawned on me, the events of the morning playing back to me in reverse. From the one-sided conversation she must have overheard between my mother and I, all the way back to the ill-timed text message from Kayla. _Stupid! I can only imagine what she must be thinking!_

"Okay…" Rose said, obviously confused before exchanging curious glances with the others.

"Bella, I swear… whatever you're thinking it's not true." I pleaded. I would gladly beg on hands and knees until she would see that I was telling the truth. I'd tell her my every indiscretion from what happened with Kayla right down to the pack of gum I stole when I was 6, just so that nothing unexpected would ever sneak up on us again.

She hiccupped and climbed into the backseat of Emmett's Jeep.

Fuming, I slid into the driver seat of my car and gripped the steering wheel as hard as I could until my knuckles turned white and my fingers threatened to break under the pressure.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Alice asked calmly as she climbed into the passenger seat.

I sighed and relaxed my grip on the wheel.

"How much time have you got?"

**Oh man... **

**Let me just clarify a bit before I get bombarded with questions...**

**1) Bella's had an emotional rollercoaster of a morning, so she's all over the place. That's why she's mad, sad, happy, etc all in the matter of a couple of hours. **

**2) People in the last chapter begged for Bella not to get upset about the whole Kayla thing, but think about it. Is this not how 99 percent of the female population would react? Automatically assume the worst? I think it is, anyway and one of my main goals in this story was to make Bella a little more, what I consider, 'real'. Don't worry, strong motorcycle ridin' Bella hasn't left the building. **

**Side note: **

**1) Sad news about Midnight Sun, yes? **

**2) Anyone planning on watching TrueBlood on HBO this weekend? Am I the only one who thinks its just a **_**little**_** Twilight-esque? **

**Musical Inspiration for this chapter is Shattered by O.A.R, as always link to music is on my profile.**

**Review, Review, Review!! My goal is 250, please please please? I know you guys can do it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Wow, you guys are so amazing. You sure know how to make a girl feel all warm and fuzzy inside. **

**If you like it, let me know by reviewing!! I didn't hit my goal for the last chapter so maybe, just maybe you guys can make it happen for this one. The more you review, the faster I write. :)**

**Again, a big thanks goes to Artee of Artee and Sporky for being an awesome Beta who gives up homework to read my stuff.**

Longish A/N at the end.

EPOV

"I used her, Alice. I used her in the worst possible way. She had feelings for me, and I just… ugh…" I tried to explain the whole situation to Alice in the short ride from the diner to the house she shared with Bella. She just listened intently, nodding every so often to show that she wanted me to continue whenever I would find myself at a loss for words.

"Let me make sure I've got everything straight. You met this Kayla girl and she was just kind of like your hookup for a while. She wanted more from you but you weren't interested, right?"

"Yes," I said, feeling ashamed. "I threw her away like she was trash, without even a second thought. I've wanted to tell Bella, I've tried to tell her… what happened and that I'm not_ that guy_ anymore. But I wouldn't be able to stand it if she knew what I did, how I treated Kayla, and hated me for it."

"Okay Edward, you feel really bad about your past, I get all that. What exactly does that have to do with what just happened back there?" Alice's face was drawn and I was certain she was reserving her judgment until I was completely finished spilling my guts.

"I broke it off with her months ago but she wouldn't hear any of it. She wouldn't leave me alone, and went all stalker on me! No matter how many times I told her it was over, she never gave up. Shit, I moved here just to get away from her! But then one day it just stopped; the phone calls, the emails, the texts. Just as if they'd never happened at all. I thought she'd finally gotten the message but this morning…."

"Was this before or after you and Bella slept together?" she broke in.

I groaned._ Of course she already knows about that_.

"After. I asked Bella to check my phone for me, and Kayla texted me just… out of the blue. Saying some shit about her bed feeling empty without me or something! I knew she thought something was up, and then she must have overheard me on the phone with my mother; telling her that I loved her, and how much I wanted her to come visit. I guess she must have thought I was talking to Kayla." I couldn't keep the anger from rising in my voice at this point. I_ was_ angry and I think I had every right to be. Everybody makes mistakes, right? Why was I doomed to be punished for mine for the rest of my life? As if having to deal with Kayla's fanatical behavior wasn't enough castigation, now I was going to loose Bella too? I slammed my hands into the steering wheel with all the force I could muster and let every profane word I knew fly out of my mouth in rapid succession.

"Are you done?" Alice asked, gently with a slight air of amusement.

"Why aren't you screaming at me for being a jerk to your best friend?" I snarled, but quickly recomposed myself. Alice didn't deserve to be the object of my fury.

"Because you_ haven't_ been a jerk to Bella. We all have pasts, Edward, including you. You can't go back and change what you did, but you can man up and deal with it. This chick is crazy, we've established that. So what? There isn't much you can do about it from here, so for right now you need to focus on the things that you can do something about -- particularly Bella. I've known her for a really long time and I can tell you for a fact that she's not one to easily change her mind once it's been made up. That doesn't mean that it's impossible though," she added quickly, noticing the look of defeat on my face.

"Of all the people I've known in my life Bella is the most cautious, the most rational. She's always the one who thinks things through, considers every option before making a decision. That's just who she is. But ever since she met you, all that just went out the window. I've never seen her jump head first like this into anything, ever! She took a chance on you, Edward and now she thinks that that decision has come back to bite her. You're going to have to_ show_ her that what you did, who you were, isn't who you are now. You have to show her that everything she_ thinks_ she knows about what's going on between you and Kayla is wrong. You have to make her understand that you, or rather that_ the two of you_, are worth taking a chance on. You do want that, don't you?" She cocked an eyebrow and stared fixedly into my eyes.

"Yes," I said meekly.

"What?" she pressed, goading me on.

"Yes!" I almost shouted back. "Yes, Alice I want her to take a chance on me! I want her more than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life!" My chest rose and fell with my ragged breathing. My hands trembled and my voice cracked uncomfortably.

Finally I let out a sigh, "I don't know why, but I just… I need her, Alice. I need to be with her. It's like all this time, I thought I was whole but then I met her and I realized that there was always a part of me that was missing." I pulled the car to a stop in front of Alice's house and stared unseeing up at Bella's second floor bedroom window.

"The solution is simple. Tell her everything, Edward. Spare no details. She needs to fully understand the situation and the person you were before you met her. She won't be able to fully appreciate where you're going until she knows where you've been. And_if_ you love her, and I think that you do; make her believe it because right now… right now I'm sure she thinks that you just said it to get into her pants. If I know Bella, and I'm pretty sure that I know her better than anyone else, I'd say she's probably more upset with herself than she is with you." She took my hand between her tiny ones and squeezed.

"Its going to be okay, I promise. You just have to be willing to work at it a little." She gave me a reassuring smile. "Besides, you've got the master here to help." She made a gesture like a curtsy from the passenger seat.

"You're going to help me? Why? Aren't you going to take Bella's side?" I asked with an air of skepticism.

She let out a loud, bell like laugh. "Honey, I_ am_ on Bella's side. She wants you just as much as you want her, she just needs a little nudge, is all." She patted my knee and bounced out of the car. I heard the back door open and slam shut and was startled; I'd completely forgotten Jasper had been in the car listening the entire time.

I slid the car into reverse and then heard a loud knocking on my window. I rolled it down to see Alice bent down with her face close to the glass, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"We're still going to the beach tomorrow, by the way." Her wicked grin grew an extra few inches.

"I'm not so sure I'm going to be up for celebrating after all this," I practically whined.

"Just be here by 9, okay. Trust me." She kissed me quickly on the cheek and dragged Jasper up the front steps and into the house.

BPOV

I couldn't stop the tears from coming. They fell incessantly during the ride back to my house. Thankfully, Rose knew me well enough not to ask what was wrong while I was still so upset and frankly, crying girls scared the crap out of Emmett so he stayed quiet as well.

Thankfully again, we arrived back at the house before Edward, Alice, and Jasper did and I practically vaulted myself out of the backseat and up the front steps. Once I wrenched the door open, I took the stairs up to my room two at a time and flung myself down onto my bed. Normally the cozy comforter and soft pillows would have been consoling but as I buried my face deeper into the bedding to muffle my sobs I could smell him on everything. His delicious masculine scent had permeated every inch of my bed and I found absolutely no comfort in the little piece of himself that he'd left behind.

In a sudden burst of anger and sadness I hauled myself up to my feet and violently ripped the sheets and blankets from where they lay on the bed and threw them carelessly to the floor. Strangled screams and broken sobs ripped through my chest and reverberated through out my small bedroom as I pounded my fists feebly into the lifeless mattress. When I felt like I had nothing left, I sank to the floor with my back resting against my bedside table. My eyes stung after having run dry of tears and stared unseeing at a mass of white on the carpet in front of me. Slowly, the room came back into focus first the clean white walls and the soft beige carpet and then the mass of white laying in a clump just a few feet out of my reach. I recognized it as soon as I was able to see it clearly; it was the t-shirt,_his_ shirt that I'd worn home from his apartment after our first night together.

I crawled to the crumpled fabric, clutched it in my trembling hands and pressed it to my face. It smelled like him, but it was different than the way my sheets had smelled. The sheets smelled like us, they smelled like what we'd experienced together, the passion between us. But the shirt just smelled like him, completely separate from me.

I needed the separation. It was the only way to wean myself off of what my subconscious craved so badly. If I could have this one thing,_him_, and keep it completely disconnected from the idea of_us_ then maybe, just maybe I could keep him in my life. I don't know why the idea of cutting him out completely hurt so much, but every time I thought about saying goodbye and telling him to take his gorgeous green eyes and go to hell it felt like someone had plunged a knife in my heart and was twisting mercilessly.

I held it to my nose for a long time just breathing him in, taking him into me one last time. I clumsily made my way to my now stripped bed and curled into a ball in the center, the shirt gently tucked into the crook of my neck. Silent tears flowed now, gliding effortlessly down my already flushed cheeks until they came to rest in the shirt that was rapidly soaking through. I closed my eyes to soothe their raw ache and quickly fell into a restless, and unneeded sleep.

**\&\**

Edward's strong arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, my cheek resting on his shoulder. He gently curled and uncurled strands of my hair around his long fingers, sending tingling sensations along my scalp and down my spine.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered softly, drawing his lips along the shell of my ear.  
I ran my hands up the length of his arms and could feel every muscle of his defined appendages ripple and tighten under my touch. I continued my assent until my fingers met the impossibly soft hairs at the nape of his neck. I turned my face to look up into his sparkling emerald pools and smiled wistfully.

"I love you too, Edward," I sighed. He dipped his head lower and captured my lips in a kiss so passionate it was surely hot enough to melt steel. I felt my knees go weak and my body sagged against his but he didn't let me fall. He held me closer to his chest and deepened the kiss until my lungs were screaming for me to let them breathe. It was heaven, pure bliss to be able to feel every line and cut of his torso against me, to taste his warm, sweet tongue in my mouth, to hear the soft murmurs of pleasure that escaped his throat. I lost myself in the moment, falling head first into a dark unknown when I vaguely heard someone clear their throat from somewhere nearby.

My eyes fluttered open and I could see and feel Edward chuckling softly against my lips.  
"Can I cut in?" a trilling soprano voice questioned. The voice was high, piercing, annoying.

"I've missed you so much, Kayla," Edward purred and shifted his gaze from me to the origination of the voice. I turned my head to see a faceless redhead standing to our left, her arms extended toward him. Without warning he withdrew his arms from around me and wrapped them around her.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear and she let out a piercing, child like laugh that made me grit my teeth.

I squeezed my eyes shut as her laughter continued and willed the image in front of me away. I could hear him whispering softly to her as her unremitting laugh grew louder and more like a shriek with every passing second.

"What is she doing?" he shrill voice asked.

"Hell if I know. I hardly know her," his velvety voice stated matter-of-factly.

I opened my mouth to cry out in pain, anger, and frustration but nothing came out. I opened my eyes to find myself lying in the fetal position on my bed with a sweat dampened brow.

"Just a dream…_Just a dream_…Just a dream…" I chanted under my breath as I concentrated on regaining control my racing heartbeat.

I rolled off of the bed and trudged downstairs. Alice and Rose were sitting at the kitchen table talking in hushed voices. They ceased their conversation and turned to look at me with concern filled eyes.

"Bella honey, are you alright?" Rose asked hesitantly.

I merely grunted my recognition and flung open the cabinet and began rummaging for my junk food of choice. All I wanted to do was veg out in front of the TV in my room and gorge myself on Doritos until I couldn't move and my fingers were permanently stained the color of nacho cheese; it was all I knew to do to try to forget the ache in my chest. I grabbed the bag of chips from the shelf and trumped back upstairs and into my room.

A few minutes later, my two best friends appeared at my door, Alice holding an arm full of sodas and Rose with several other bags of chips.

"Mind if we join you?" Alice asked quietly.

I half smiled and patted the bed beside me. The two of them smiled back and snuggled up next to me on my bare bed.

"Let's watch Lifetime, there's always something ridiculously girly on there," Rose suggested.

Alice used the remote to click on the TV and we started watching a made for TV movie already in progress while mindlessly munching on empty calories. The movie opened with a scene of a loving couple, a husband a wife with two small children going about their daily routine in their picture perfect lives; he, a renowned college professor and she a dutiful stay at home mom. On the surface their lives were all yacht clubs, cocktail parties, and declarations of love but, as the story unfolded it was revealed that the husband was leading a double life fraught with drugs, prostitutes, and under aged female students.

_Hmpf…Double life_.

I groaned and turned the TV off.

Rose took the remote from my hand and cast me a worryed look. "Bella, you have to tell us what's going on. We can't help if we don't know what the problem is."

"Can you make me not want Edward anymore?" I asked as fresh tears started to well up in my eyes. My friends exchanged knowing glances. "I didn't think so."

"Okay, spill it. Everything. You'll feel better if you get it all out. Start from the beginning." Alice instructed as she pulled me until I was sitting up.

"Fine," I huffed, and pulled my knees to my chest before launching into my story. "Last night, after we left the bar, we came back here and we just slept, nothing happened. But then this morning he…he told me that he cared about me and something just clicked in my brain; I wasn't afraid anymore and I_wanted_ him. So… one thing led to another and well, yeah…" I trailed off. I really didn't feel like rehashing all of the sordid details of our romp.

"But as he finished he told me he loved me."

"He_what_?!" They both exclaimed.

"You heard me," I grumbled.

"Wow- I guess I was right about the 'L' word," Alice mumbled under her breath with a smirk.

I was mildly intrigued by her expression, but decided to continue on with the story while I still had the strength to do so.

"But he didn't realize he said it, at first. But we talked and he said that he really did mean it. And_of course_ I fell for it, and we… again…" I sighed at the memory of my own stupidity.

"Then while he was in the shower I went to check facebook, and I saw that he had all these messages from some girl named Kayla on his wall talking about how she was thinking about him while she was in the shower, and how things just weren't the same without him or some shit." I let the bitterness seep into my voice as I continued on. "I tried to let it go, but then he asked me to check his phone for him this morning when he got a text message and it was from her! I told him and he freaked out- snatched the phone from me and everything! And then after breakfast I heard him on the phone…" my voice cracked as a new wave of sobs bubbled in my chest. "He was planning on her coming to visit him here, and he told her he loved her." I buried my face in my hands.

"I just couldn't take it anymore. I thought he might actually be the one_. God_! And that's what makes this all so hard! If he were just any ol' guy, then it would be no big deal. But I…"

"You love him," Alice finished for me.

"Yes," I croaked. "I put myself out there, for the first time in my life just to have everything thrown back in my face!" I wanted to pull my hair out in aggravation and anger, but instead I just clamped my eyes shut and rubbed my balled up fists against my closed lids.

"Bella, have you talked to him about any of this?" Rose asked calmly.

"No. What's there to talk about?" I spat.

"Don't you think you might be jumping to conclusions, just a little bit?" Alice gave me a small, reassuring smile.

"What is there to jump to conclusions about? He obviously has something going on with this Kayla girl and now he wants her to visit. I think it's all pretty much in black and white, guys. I'm not going to just sit here and be lied to when he tells me he loves me!"

"Just to play devil's advocate a little bit here, but do you know if he ever responded to any of her messages or texts?" she questioned.

"No, but-"

"And do you think that it's at all possible that maybe he could have talking to someone else on the phone, like maybe his mom, or an aunt or something. And that's who might be coming to visit?"

"Well, I guess it's possible but-"

"I'm not taking any sides here, but don't you think that if there's even the tiniest chance that you could be wrong, don't you think you owe it to yourself to find out before you go accusing people of things like two-timing? You love him, Bella, and if you throw that away over some stupid miscommunication then you'll always be left wondering 'what if'."

I didn't say anything for a while and just thought. Was it possible that I could have misunderstood everything? Was it possible that I had gotten everything wrong? Maybe I didn't have it exactly right but the messages were definitely there, I hadn't imagined those, and the text message was something he didn't want me to see. If I had nothing to worry about, then why was he hiding it from me?

Alice ran her hand soothingly down my back. "Honey, you just need to talk to him. If you come to find out that you were right, fine. We'll all just accept that he's an asshole and be done with it. But until then, he's our friend too and we're not going to just abandon him; especially when he has no one else. You know how Jazz and Em don't like be outnumbered by us girls and Edward's addition has finally evened things up. They are not going to want to give him up unless it's for a really good reason."

I sighed again because I could understand her point. It wasn't fair of me to just kick Edward out of our group now that everyone seemed to be so fond of him.

"I think after a nice relaxing day at the beach, you'll have your head on straight and you two can get through this mess," she went on.

"No Al, I am_not_ going to the beach tomorrow. I can't spend the whole day with him, not after this!" I practically shouted, suddenly frantic.

"Yes you are. And nobody is saying that you have to spend every second with him. We can do our thing and the boys can do theirs. Please, Bella." She pushed out her bottom lip into a ridiculously exaggerated pout that resembled a cartoon puppy.

Just then my phone rang from where it lay on my desk.

"Answer it, will you? I don't want to talk to anybody right now."

Alice snatched up the phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" she asked in her sunniest voice. "No, this is Alice, her roommate. I can give her a message for you. Uh huh… Great! I'll tell her. Thanks a lot." She snapped the phone shut and grinned at me.

"That was the body shop. They said your car's finally ready. See? Now you have to come to the beach! A road trip is exactly what you need."

I sighed. My car, my baby that I loved just as much, if not more than, my motorcycle, was finally going to be mine again. Honestly, the thought of driving down the winding coastal roads with the top down and the music blaring did sound rather appealing.

"Fine," I said quietly.

"That's our girl," Rose laughed.

**That's so Alice, playing both sides. **

Musical inspiration for this chapter is If You Could Only See by Tonic

_If you could only see the way she loves me  
Then maybe you would understand  
Why I feel this way about our love  
And what I must do  
If you could only see how **brown **her eyes can be when she says  
When she says she loves me_

(Just curious, does anyone actually listen to the playlist?)

**Review Review Review. I'll love you forever!**

I posted an incomplete story called Just the Way I'd Imagined it which is my version of Breaking Dawn, check that out!

I'm currently working on a lemony one shot for Jayeliwood's sexy Edward contest, so be on the look out for that too.


	13. Sorry!

* * *

Sorry for the fake out guys, but I have a couple of things that I'd like to say...

First of all, I very very sincerely apologize for having not posted the next chapter yet, life has sort of been a bit of a whirlwind for me as of late, that coupled with a terrible case of writer's block means the very pivotal chapter is very slow going. However, I'm doing the best I can and making as much headway as humanly possible. Rest assured this story will be completed, I will no abandon my baby.

Secondly, I submitted a story Jayeliwood's Sexy Edward contest called In the Fade. If you haven't checked it out, please please please do because voting is now open and I'd really love it if you would vote for me. I've gotten some incredible feedback on it so far, so as soon as I finish A Simple Twist of Fate, I will be working on expanding In the Fade into a full blown story, by popular demand. I might not even be able to contain myself and start working on them at the same time.

Anyway, sorry to get everyone's hopes up for a new chapter, but I really do hope you'll vote for In the Fade because I'm really proud of it.

I hope to update soon!


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Don't get too excited here, kids. This chapter is lame, if I do say so myself. However, my writer's block is showing no signs of letting up, so I thought it was only fair if I went ahead and posted what I did have. **

**sigh Please don't hate me too much. I'm trying, I really am. **

* * *

BPOV

Lola, my baby. Jake used to joke about me cheating on him with my "girlfriend" because I affectionately referred to her as such. Of course, people who overheard our conversations and didn't know me automatically assumed that we were actually referring to a person. They had no idea that Lola was my car. I named her the same day I got her; Lola, because she is cute and small, spunky and flirtatious but packs a punch under the hood – just like me. People thought I was crazy that I named everyone's cars; Emmett's Jeep was Rocky, Rosalie's sleek black Lexus RX350 was Mitzy, Jasper's '96 F150 clunker was Jed Clampett, and Alice's Yellow Porsche was Flash. It only took one time seeing The Italian Job when I was 16 to know what my dream car was. I waited until I was in college to get it, but she was well worth the wait. But of course, just 6 months after buying my brand new, fire engine red, Mini Cooper convertible S class, I got side swiped and my poor baby was out of commission for weeks!

I was waiting at the door of the body shop when it opened that morning to pick her up. When I saw her, I was so happy I wanted to cry! I was also happy to have the opportunity to take her out on the open road, even if we were only 40 miles from the coast. What I wasn't happy about was being forced into this trip against my will by my manipulating best friends.

I knew Alice and Rose wanted me to talk to Edward about what was going on, and I promised them that I would, under one condition; that they would not force us to ride together for the trip down. The logic behind my stipulation was pretty simple I thought; I didn't want to be stuck in the car with him, with no means of escape, should things not turn out to be just a misunderstanding. I wanted to at least have the option of walking away if I needed to.

So it was decided, since 'The Trinity', as the boys so lovingly called us, hadn't gotten to spend much time together, Alice and Rose would ride with me, while the boys would ride with Emmett and all of our stuff.

At nine on the dot, there was a banging on the door that was so loud and forceful it could only have come from Emmett's hands. Rose answered the door and flashed him one of her trademark "Rosalie Hale heartbreaker" smiles before inviting him in while Alice and I finished gathering our things.

"Bella, are you ready to go?" Alice called from the kitchen.

"Almost! I'll be back in two seconds." I hurried up the stairs to grab my ipod and an extra towel. When I came back downstairs, the front door was open and Emmett and Jasper were carrying our bags and coolers out to their car.

_I guess Edward decided not to come. He not being able to face me after what happened yesterday answers all of my questions. Figures, I should have known._

I couldn't decide if Edward's absence made me feel better or worse. But my heart fluttered when I saw the familiar beautiful bronze head come bobbing through the door. An involuntary smile curved across my lips at the sight of him.

_You're mad at him, remember_? Ever the optimist, I was finding it particularly difficult to stay upset now that I knew that there was the tiniest possibility that my worst fears could be completely baseless. The urge to descend the last few steps and throw myself into  
his arms was overwhelming, but I mustered all of my resolve and stayed glued to the carpet.

There it was again, the battle between my brain and my heart. My heart had found a loophole and was beating my brain on a technicality_. Just breathe. Be prepared no matter what the outcome is. Chin up, you can do this._

_  
_At that moment, he turned and cast his depthless emerald eyes up to where I stood on the stairs and my knees went weak.

His face read several emotions at once; sadness, nervousness, anticipation, hope. "'Morning Bella," he said with slight smile.

I steadied myself against the wall with my hand. "Morning," I answered curtly and watched his smile melt away. My heart stuttered feebly at his expression, knowing that I'd hurt him and let out an exasperated sigh.

"So, are we ready to go?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Yes, let's hit the road!" Alice was practically bouncing up and down as she shooed us out of the front door.

I slid behind the wheel of my baby and turned the key to listen to her purr to life.

"That's right, sugar. Sing for mama," I said as I ran my fingers over the smooth dashboard and pressed the button to push back the convertible top.

"Rose, she's talking to the car again," Alice said in an exaggerated comical whisper.

"I know, I think she's lost it," Rose replied in the same manner.

"Would you two just shut up and get in so we can go!" I laughed as my friends climbed into the car, my mood lifting considerably.

Alice leaned forward to rest her chin on my shoulder from the backseat as we pulled out onto the street. "So, are you excited yet? When do you think you're going to do it?"

I sighed, and called over the rushing wind. "Do you ever stop meddling?"

"Now that's a stupid question!" Rose answered with a chuckle before Alice could.

She playfully scowled at Rose before continuing. "Seriously, aren't you the teensiest bit excited about talking to Edward?"

"If by excited you mean scared to death, then sure."

"Everything's going to work out for the best, I just know it," Alice said cheerfully before kissing me on the cheek and leaning back in her seat. "You'll see."

"Can we not talk about this please? You're ruining Lola's reintroduction to the road," I grumbled.

"How about some music?" Rose asked, and connected my ipod to the stereo through Lola's built in audio jack.

A familiar song pulsed loudly through the speakers and over the rushing wind.

_Now you think that I  
will be something on the side  
but you got to understand  
that I need a man  
who can take my hand yes, I do_

"Next," I shouted over the wind and Rose pressed the button.

_Thought I knew You better than  
Thought I knew Your intentions  
Thought I knew  
But I didn't have A clue  
Not a single damn thing was true_

"Next!" I shouted again.

_You say it's all in my head  
And the things I think just don't make sense  
So where you been then? Don't go all coy  
Don't turn it round on me like it's my fault  
See I can see that look in your eyes  
The one that shoots me each and every time_

You grace me with your cold shoulder  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her  
You shower me with words made of knives  
Whenever you look at me I wish I was her

"Okay, are you doing this on purpose?" I demanded as the stiff breezes whipped my hair around my face.

"No, I swear. Let me just find something else." She started flipping through the songs, but it was no use. Every single song seemed to remind me of Edward in some way. I sighed for perhaps the fiftieth time that morning, and tried to focus on the nearing coastline and the ever growing smell of salt in the air.

EPOV

I watched Bella and the girls get into Bella's cute little convertible and wished I could be joining them. However, I had a feeling that our driving arrangement had been put in place because she didn't want to be stuck in the car with me for the hour or so drive to Alice's beach house. Jasper and Emmett talked and laughed for the first half of the drive while I sat quietly in the backseat, my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.

"So, you got a plan yet?" Emmett asked when the trees thinned out and I got my first look at the Florida coastline.

"Sorry Edward, he made me tell him about what happened yesterday," Jasper apologized.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. I wanted to talk to them, to someone, anyone, about my current problems, but I found myself growing more and more ashamed every time I voiced my previous transgressions to the world.

"Dude, it's no big deal. You think I haven't done some things, or people for that matter, that I'm not proud of? Please. Jasper'll tell you, I was so torn up after Rose started dating Simon; our apartment practically had a revolving door of girls coming and going almost every night. Rose knows about it, she wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, but what are you gonna do? What's done is done."

"Rose, huh? So you told her all this in the day and a half that she's been back?" I asked skeptically.

"Hey, when I came clean about my feeling for her the other night, she wanted to know everything. Everything included all the uhh… 'company' I've kept."

"Yeah well, I plan on telling her everything, but I haven't known Bella for as long as you've known Rose."

"So? Our Bella's a big girl. She may not like what you have to say, but she'll understand."

I sighed and leaned back into the seat. "I hope you're right."

I watched as we drove along the winding coastal road, through salty gulf side towns, and thick forests of palm and pine trees. This wasn't shaping up to be like any of the Florida beaches I'd seen in pictures or movies. There were no flashy nightclubs. There were no lifeguard towers. There weren't countless people blanketing the sandy shores in a mass of bodies. Instead dotting the beaches were weathered houses built along side swank mansion like homes. There were a few grocery stores and gas stations, a fast food restaurant here and there, but other than that there was little to see or do down here. Despite the lack of spectacle, I couldn't deny the fact that these beaches seemed to be much less spoiled and more private than others I've seen, and I actually preferred it this way.

I thought about what the powder fine sand would feel like under my bare feet; about how it would feel to walk hand in hand with a certain beautiful brunette while the foamy waves lapped at our ankles. I sank deeper into the fantasy and allowed myself to picture the sparkle in her chocolate eyes as she looked up at me and smile, how the setting sun would set off a shimmer in her chestnut hair and beautifully tanned skin. I sighed, the image was so incredible, but I knew I couldn't let myself get my hopes up too high incase things didn't work out the way I hoped they would. I wondered if she'd even be willing to listen to what I had to say or if she'd just ignore me for the rest of our lives.

Emmett turned a knob on the dash to increase the volume of the CD that was playing and I song I'd never heard before pumped through the speakers.

_What if it makes you sad at me?  
And what if it makes you laugh now but you cry as you fall asleep?  
And what if it takes your breath  
And you cant hardly breathe?  
And what if it makes the last sound be the very best sound?  
What if it makes you lose faith in me?  
What if makes you question every moment you cannot see?_

And if this be our last conversation  
If this be the last time that we speak for awhile  
Don't lose hope and don't let go  
Cause you should know  
If it makes you sad  
If it makes you sad at me  
Then it's all my fault and let me fix it please

The song came to an end and I sat stunned for a moment as we pulled up in front of a light blue two-story house on stilts. It was so strange to have my own feelings reflected back at me from someone else, a song no less. It always seemed to amaze me how music could so poignantly express emotions. As simple as the lyrics were, it was everything I felt, and everything that I needed to do; fix it. Whatever it took, I just had to fix it – and I was determined to do it. And it seemed so simple, the solution had been in front of me the whole time—I was just too dense, too scared, to have actually seen it, or done anything about it. My heartbeat sped up at the thought of finally putting everything behind me, and looking forward to a life with Bella in it.

"You comin'?" Jasper asked, bringing me out of my contemplation.

An encouraged smile made its way onto my face as fresh optimism pumped through my veins. "Absolutely."

* * *

**Short, I know. I'M SORRY! A billion times over, I'm sorry. **

**So, the songs that Bella, Alice and Rose were listening to were Mercy by Duffy, Thought I Knew by Weezer, and Cold Shoulder by Adele. The song that Edward, Emmett and Jasper were listening to was What If by SafetySuit. That song was actually the complete inspiration behind this part of the story. I heard it one day and immediately thought of Edward. Honestly, it's my favorite song right now. Give it a listen, you'll wish some guy would dedicate it to you. **

**Side Note: Thank you for those who voted for my oneshot, In the Fade, in the Sexy Edward Contest. I didn't win, but I really appreciate the fact that it didn't come in dead last :) Actually, it faired pretty well and I'm proud of it. Of course, that's all that really matters. **

**Thank you all for sticking with me, and keep your fingers crossed that the creative juices start flowing again soon.**


	15. Twilight Awards

Um... Hi.

Long time no see, right? Yeah yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I was busy finishing my last semester of college and going through a relationship crisis, and just lots of personal drama in general so writing was on the bottom of my priorities list.

However! School is done for good (thank god!), and the drama has died down considerably. You will all be happy to know that I am diligently hard at work on completing this story. I told you I wouldn't abandon this thing and I meant it.

Anywho... the reason for the update is because the Twilight Awards are upon us once again. I certainly won't tell you to nominate this story just because, but if you feel that its worthy, it would be really great to be recognized. As always you can nominate at www[dot]twilightawards[dot]this-paradise[dot]com

Thanks a million for sticking with me, I appreciate all the love and support I've gotten through reviews and PMs. Be on the look out for the next chapter VERY soon.


	16. Chapter 14

**A/N: Um… hi I know it has been forever and a day since my last real update and for that I sincerely apologize. The creative juices dried up completely for a while there, and now they are slowly starting to come back. A bit. Eeekk. Anyway, I know there are a lot of you out there who probably gave up hope on this story, and I can't say that I blame you, but SURPRISE! For those who have stuck with me, thanks a billion! **

* * *

BPOV

We pulled up to the house and though I knew I should be feeling excited and happy at the opportunity to spend a gorgeous day at the beach with my best friends but my stomach was incessantly doing somersaults and my spirits seemed to plummet further with each passing second. The sun was shining and glittering off the crystal blue water and the blinding white sand, as Alice and Rose jumped out of my car and over to where the boys were unloading the bags from Emmett's Jeep. I hung back and took my time putting the top up on my convertible, stashing my Ipod in my purse, double checking that I had everything I needed to take with me. Basically stalling for time, and not doing a very subtle job of it either.

"Bella, are you coming or what?" I heard Alice call from the bottom of the steps leading up to the house. I looked up through the windshield so see all of my friends waiting for me. I couldn't help but notice Edward, standing there looking amazing as ever with a cooler balanced on his shoulder and the sun highlighting the auburn undertones of his unruly hair. This morning, he'd seemed… sad, like he was looking forward to this trip about as much as I was and honestly, a small part of me relished in that fact. But now his face seemed lighter somehow, brighter. A small, timid smile curved around the corners of his lips and his eyes seemed to be trying to assure me that everything was alright. I wanted so badly to believe them; wanted so badly to follow him up those stairs and right back into his arms. I wanted that more than anything in the world and I felt myself being pulled towards him, both physically and emotionally. I felt my feet hit the ground outside the car, and carry me a few steps towards his welcoming smile, and reassuring eyes before I stopped myself.

My better judgment raged inside of me. _He's playing you!_ I wanted to believe that he meant well, that he really loved me, that he'd meant every touch and every kiss the way I thought he did. But how could he when there was someone else waiting for him on the other side of the country? I forced my feet to stop moving for a moment. I squared my shoulders and made up my mind that instant that I was not going to let him ruin my time with my friends, and that I was strong enough to resist him. _Or at least_ f_ake it til you make it. _

I hitched my purse up on my shoulder and strode confidently over to where they stood waiting.

"Lead the way, Alice," I said, gesturing with my arm toward the house, and she giddily bounded up the stairs to unlock the door.

*

"Seriously Rose, I don't know why you bother. You're just going to sweat all your make-up off out there anyway," Alice called. We'd been waiting by the door for her for nearly half an hour while she got ready to go bake in the sun. As soon as we got in the house, Alice had wanted us all to go down to the water but I managed to side step an awkward confrontation with Edward by suggesting that just the girls hang out for a while. It was a sneaky move really; Alice would never turn down an opportunity for girl time and I knew that. I also knew that talking to Edward was inevitable but I wasn't ready yet. I needed to buy myself as much time as I could for my self control to reinforce itself.

Finally Rose came downstairs looking like a goddess; long golden hair hanging softly around her shoulders in perfect waves, her super model's body clad in a red and white striped string bikini, with a white surrong tied loosely around her curvaceous hips. Alice and I both eyed each other skeptically; comparing our relaxed beach attire with Rosalie's straight off the runway look before laughing hysterically. It felt really good to laugh after the emotional roller coaster I'd been on.

"What? I just like to look my best, it's like you two don't know me at all," she huffed and rolled her eyes sarcastically. We carried our towels down to the water's edge, spread them out over the white sand, and settled in for some much needed relaxation.

EPOV

My mind was made up and my resolve was firm. I was going to fix this. I was going to tell Bella everything and somehow make her see that I had changed; changed for her. I was going to make her understand how much I cared about her, and prove that there was nobody else, no other girl anywhere in the world, who was more perfect in my eyes than her. But she was purposely avoiding me. That much was painfully obvious.

Alice had suggested that we all go down to the water together, and behind Bella's back shot me a knowing look. She was trying to facilitate an opportunity for Bella and I to be forced together as the others would eventually couple off on the beach. But Bella had other plans, and I can't say that I blamed her. She'd only seen one side of the situation and had arrived at her own conclusions, which was understandable, so I tried not to let it bother me. But I couldn't help but feel my earlier confidence deflate just a little as I watched her look anywhere but in my direction as she waited for Rose with Alice, and when the three of them made their way down the sand without us.

"Don't sweat it, Edward. She's as stubborn as they come," Emmett said, twisting the cap off of a bottle of beer. "She can't avoid you forever."

"Yeah I know, but I bet she'll draw it out for as long as she can though," I mused, looking down at the three bodies laid out on the sand below.

Jasper pulled two more bottles from one of the coolers. "Have a cold one and relax. You can _try_ to have some fun, Edward. Or at least, enjoy the view," he said with a grin and went outside to the wrap around porch overlooking the water.

I opened my beer and Emmett and I joined him in the stiff, salty breeze.

"We've got to be the luckiest sons of bitches in the whole god damn world, you know that?" Emmett said after taking a long drag from his beer. "Those girls, the three hottest chicks for miles, literally MILES, are ours. You know how many guys would kill to be us right now?"

"Speak for yourself," I grumbled.

"Get your panties out of a twist, Debbie Downer. You'll get her back. I'd even put money on it. Fifty bucks says you two will be knee deep in lovey dovey bullshit before the weekend is over."

"See that in your crystal ball, did you?" I asked, slightly annoyed at his nonchalance.

"Um… it doesn't exactly take a rocket surgeon to see that she likes you, and you like her. Blah blah blah, love is in the air and all that. Trust me, I know these things."

"Rocket surgeon huh, Em?" Jasper said with suppressed laughter seeping into his voice.

"Yeah. What?"

"If you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you," he smirked and turned his attention back to where the girls had gotten up off of their towels and were now wading in the water. "Screw this, we came here to go to the beach right? So why are we up here? Edward, grab that football, would you? And lets go down there."

BPOV

The cool water felt amazing in comparison to the scorching sun. I waded in up to my waist and splashed some water up onto my arms and the back of neck to cool off.

I remembered the first time Alice had ever brought me here. Alice had moved to town around Christmas of our sophomore year of high school and most people thought she was a little strange with her high fashion attire and hairstyle that was definitely not from this small town. Though she was nothing like me from what I could tell on the outside, I felt drawn to her for some reason. Besides, I felt bad that someone with such an obvious effervescent personality had no friends. So I introduced myself to her and what I thought was going to be a cold reception, turned out to be the beginning of an amazing, if not strangely mismatched, friendship. Once the weather warmed up she invited me to spend the weekend with her and her family at their new beach house. I'd met her older brother Kevin, my first very serious crush, and her parents who were so doting and wonderful it made me almost wish they were my own. That weekend, she told me about growing up in New York, and how adjusting to life in a much smaller city was harder than she'd ever expected. She told me about the boy, or rather I should say _boys_, she'd left behind at her old school. I told her that I hadn't really had a boyfriend at that point yet; that I was just too shy to talk to them. And so began the process of how a little bit of my shy, reserved nature rubbed off on Alice, toning her down just enough to not be so intimidating to others, and a little bit of Alice's outgoing spirit rubbed off on me, summoning up my inner vixen, as she liked to say, and making me the object of desire of nearly every boy in our high school.

I closed my eyes remembering how different I'd been then and let the gentle waves rock me back and forth on the shifting sandy bottom of the ocean floor. With each wave the sand washed away from under my toes allowing me to sink deeper and deeper into the soft sediment. I dug in; hoping to hold my footing in the shifting sand but it was no use.

_How ironic. _I thought. _Things change, and no matter what you do to make them stay the same, change happens and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. _I'd changed, I knew that for certain. Alice had changed me when I met her, and Edward had changed me too. In the short time I'd known him, I'd done something I had never imagined was possible; I'd fallen in love. And with a boy with whom I had very serious doubts about his character, no less. But despite all that, no matter how much I tried to ignore my feelings, and rationalize them away, they would never change. Part of me just wanted to kick myself for ever allowing myself to fall this hard, this fast, while another part of me wanted to just succumb to the ever present desire to just wrap myself in Edward's arms and never let him go. _Stupid, foolish girl. _

I was brought out of my daydream by the sound of a squeal from behind me. I turned to see Emmett running into the surf, splashing Rose as he went. She squealed and cursed at him in her usual Rose manner, but there was a glint of something behind her scowl, something playful from what I could tell. _I guess Rose can't resist change either, at least when it comes to the right guy. _Jasper and Edward stood on the beach smirking at their friend's overly flirtatious, yet highly childish, behavior.

There it was again; that pull to go to him. He was standing there looking perfect as ever, and statuesque, sunlight reflecting off of the beads of sweat that had already begun to form on his toned shoulders in the Florida heat. His skin wasn't nearly as tanned as Emmett or Jasper's, but the smooth, creamy color made him stand out even more. Jasper took off running down the beach, calling for Edward to throw him the ball, which he did with a perfect, tight spiral, and the slightest hint of his laugh made its way over the wind and surf to my ears. Emmett gave Rose one last playful splash before taking off down the beach after Jasper. I couldn't help but bite my lip at how incredible he looked standing there clad in just a pair of board shorts and nothing else. I rationalized to myself that the heat I was beginning to feel was from the sun and not from looking at him.

Jasper caught the ball and just then Edward turned to look at me with another amazing smile spread across his flawless face. This time the heat I felt was from the blush flooding my face at having been caught staring, and I covered with a small sheepish smile.

"Heads up!" one of the other boys called, and I saw the football come whizzing through the air towards where Edward stood smiling at me. He saw it too, and began sprinting down the shore. My mouth almost watered as I watched every muscle in his back and arms ripple as he ran.

"Just talk to him. You know you want to," Alice said from beside me. I hadn't even realized she'd been standing there, and she smiled a knowing smile at me.

"Yeah, yeah…" I grumbled.

*

I watched the boys play football from my towel on the beach for a while before lying down on my stomach to get some sun on my back. Watching the ease of Edward's movements at he ran and caught and threw, I found myself smiling at the scene in front of me and, to my own surprise, even cheering when he caught a particularly difficult pass from Emmett. Alice and Rosalie even joined the game a little by allowing Jasper and Emmett to attempt to teach them how to throw the perfect spiral. For the first time ever, I saw Edward looking slightly uncomfortable; his usual swagger completely gone as he stood by himself watching the other two couples go through the motions of throwing a football. I pretended not to notice when he glanced over at me with a slightly hopeful expression. My resolve was cracking, ever so slowly eroding away out from under me while I tried to stand firm in my decision to ignore my feelings for him, and I wasn't ready for that just yet.

I was being stubborn, and I knew it.

The sun had been beating down on my back for quite a while when I felt the temperature suddenly drop. I chalked it up to a cloud simply passing over the sun, but then a much cooler gust of wind ghosted over my overheated skin and sent shivers down my spine. Before I could even sit up and assess the change in weather, a fat drop of rain fell and hit me squarely in the middle of my forehead.

Having lived near the gulf coast my entire life I was all too familiar with how these late afternoon storms could practically blow up out of nowhere and ruin an afternoon. Luckily, Alice's house wasn't but maybe 30 yards away over the dunes but that didn't keep the rain from coming. I grabbed my towel and beach bag and sprinted for the house, but it was as at that moment that the sky opened up and decided to dump a torrent of water down on us as we ran. I could hear Alice and Rose screaming behind me, while Emmett's laughter could be heard booming over the rolls of thunder.

I reached the landing at the bottom of the house first, my hair was soaked and there was sand encrusting my feet and shins. Rose and Alice were just a few steps behind me, while the boys leisurely walked through the downpour, laughing at how "girly" we were all the while. Edward, of course looked amazing with the rain pushing his wet hair into his eyes and the drops of water clinging to the tip of his nose and around his lips were just practically begging to be licked off.

_Stop it! You. Are. Mad. At. Him! _But it was no use. I'd cracked. He was too beautiful to resist. Better judgment be damned. I'd spent my entire life being cautious and the moment I'd let my guard down I'd met Edward and had almost an entire lifetime's worth of happiness wrapped up into just a few days. Did I really want to give all that up?

_He's just going to hurt you again… _but so what? Doesn't the risk make the outcome that much more worthwhile? Its not that I wanted my heart to be trampled on again, but Alice had been right. I owed it to myself to at least hear him out because there was a good chance that I'd misunderstood. I hoped against hope that I'd just misunderstood. I wanted to be able to kiss him, and be kissed by him, and have him be mine and I could be his. And I wanted many more mornings like the one we'd spent together just a few short days ago. It seemed so long ago.

My new resolution; get the facts, hear him out, and assess the situation based on all of the information available. But in order to do that I would need a clear and open mind. I took one more fleeting look at him standing and laughing in the rain when another rumble of thunder shook the ground and I went around the corner to rinse off in the outdoor shower stall.

The water from the shower was ice cold, but it was sobering so I didn't mind it much. I rinsed the sand off of my feet and legs and then let the water run over my head, trickling down my face and onto my shoulders leaving goose bumps in their wake.

Sand has a tendency to get in many places that it shouldn't when spending time at the beach, and having spent many a weekend at this beach house, I didn't even think twice before untying my top and hanging it over the door of the stall, followed shortly after by the bottoms. After a few minutes of standing under the water and listening to the pipes creak and the thunder rumble, I heard the distinct sound of someone walking around outside of the stall. I turned the shower off without giving whoever it was much thought. There was a large Tupperware box just outside the shower where Alice's family kept fresh towels so I opened the stall door slightly, just wide enough to get my arm and head through to grab something to dry off with. But I froze when I saw Edward sitting on the hood of Emmett's Jeep with his head in his hands.

He looked up, our eyes locked and a shade of crimson I hadn't even thought was possible colored his cheeks. I must have turned a similar color because all of a sudden my face started to burn under his stare. I forced myself to avert my eyes down to the lid of the plastic box and try to get it open with just one hand. I knew I was covered well enough by the shower door, not like he hadn't seen my naked body already anyway, but it seemed that my embarrassment was impeding on the functionality of my hands. I fumbled with the lid and tried the best I could to remove it quickly but it was no use. I knew he was watching me, but I refused to look up. I'd rather stand there naked in the shower stall until he went upstairs than acknowledge him watching me fiddle helplessly with this stupid box. My eyes remained fixed on what my hand was doing when his hand came into my view, effortlessly removing the lid, pulling out a plush white towel, and offering it to me. I took it gingerly from his hands without meeting his gaze that I could feel burning into me. I unfolded the fabric and wrapped it around myself as quickly as I could.

"Thank you," I stammered, still looking anywhere but up at his painfully beautiful face.

"You're welcome," he said in a whisper that could barely be heard over the raging storm.

I could feel my blush deepen dramatically. What a sight we must have been; me standing there dripping wet in a towel and him standing just a few feet from me, blushing wildly, neither of us saying a word.

"Edward, I-"

"Listen, Bella-"

We finally broke the awkward silence at the same moment. Both of our blushes intensified. He held up his hands before he spoke again.

"Bella, we really need to talk. I mean…" he cleared his throat and wrung his hands nervously. "I'd really like to talk to you about what happened yesterday morning. I know what it seemed like but-"

"Edward." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You're right, we need to talk, but can I please put some clothes on first?"

"Oh. Right. Of course." He glanced up at me bashfully before taking a few steps back away from the shower stall. I tightened the towel around myself and made my way towards the stairs up to the main floor of the house, with Edward a few steps behind.

When we reached the landing, I could see everyone else sitting around the dining room table. Alice flashed me a sideways glance but I just dipped my head lower and went into my room. Once the door was closed I rested my back against it a let out a long breath.

This was it. We were going to talk and there was no putting it off any longer. My hands began to tremble as I grabbed a t-shirt and shorts from my duffle bag and threw them on. I sat on the edge of the bed and let my head fall into my hands.

_Get a fucking grip, Bella. Its just a conversation. _Yes. Just a conversation. Just a conversation with the potential to change my whole world. _You can do this. _

"You can do this," I said out loud. I jumped when there was a soft but deliberate knock at the door.

"Bella?" Edward's voice came muffled through the thick wood. I took a deep breath, but before I could answer, the door opened a few inches.

"Are you umm… decent?" he asked hesitantly.

I swallowed hard. "Yes, Edward. Come in."

_Here we go…_

_

* * *

_**A/N: Musical inspiration for this chapter is "What We Will Never Know" by Innerpartysystem, which is on the playlist as always. REVIEW AWAY!!! Welcome me back  
In the meantime, what's the deal with the Twilight Awards? Anybody know? **__


	17. Chapter 15

**Holy crap! Another update! Has hell frozen over? No, not quite. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting too long since I left it at a bit of a cliff hanger last chapter, so please bare with me if there are typos and what not. Very little editing was done. Don't judge me! :D Enjoy guys!**

* * *

EPOV

The storm had rolled in out of nowhere. Back home it was always raining, but sometimes the sun would shine for brief moments during the day and as quickly as it came it would be gone again. But here it was just the opposite. It was always sunny and warm and pleasant but out of nowhere, huge thunderheads would blow in and disrupt everything. It seemed like I'd just worked up the nerve to go sit down on the sand next to Bella and talk to her when the weather turned foul, and thwarted my plans.

The girls took off running over the dunes toward the house and Emmett shoved me hard from behind.

"Fifty bucks is on the line, remember?" he said with a devilish smile. I rolled my eyes and set off after them with Emmett and Jasper close behind.

I watched her disappear around the corner when Emmett, Jasper and I came in from the downpour. Alice put her small hand delicately on my forearm and I leaned down to hear her say, "She's probably just using the shower down here. Why don't you wait for her while I take everyone upstairs? That way you two can have a little privacy." She smiled up at me with her blue eyes alight with cheer and hope. She really did want Bella and I to work out, she was rooting for us so I had fairly high hopes for a positive outcome. But as the others filed upstairs and I rounded the corner, all rational thought left my brain and I was reduced to a trembling, incoherent mess.

I could see her feet underneath the door of the outdoor shower and I started to panic. _What am I supposed to say? "Hey Bella, I have a stalker. I love you, let's be together." _Yeah… not even close._ "Bella, I love you. I used to be a jerk but I'm not anymore. Isn't that great?" _I had to smack myself in the forehead for that one. Never in my entire life had I felt so completely and utterly lame. I was a good looking guy, I was confident and articulate and now, all of a sudden, I care barely string a complete thought together without tripping all over myself? Part of me longed for the old Edward, the one who could sweet talk and schmooze his way into any girl's good graces. But then again, even those tricks wouldn't work on a girl like Bella. She was different in every possible way a girl could be. She saw through my bullshit and pretense and down to root of who I really was. And that is why I had no other option but to bite the bullet and face her head on. I had to let my past meet my present, in order to get the future I wanted so badly.

_Get a grip. You have to keep it together and focus._

I felt my legs start to shake. I needed to calm down so I climbed up on the hood of Emmett's Jeep to wait for her to finish rinsing the sand off of herself. But I nearly choked when I saw her bathing suit top come flying over the stall door, followed shortly after by the bottoms. My heart started to pound as images of her naked body squirming and writhing beneath me as she climaxed flashed in my mind. Beads of perspiration rolling down her brow similar, I'm sure, to the way the drops of water were running down her face as I sat there thinking. I groaned inwardly as I watched her bare feet move under the stream of water. More thoughts of how her toes curled when I got her off the first time in my bed raced through my brain, and I let my head fall into my hands.

"Stop it. Focus, focus, focus," I chanted under my breath. "You can't lose her."

With the rumbling of the storm I hadn't heard the shower turn off and I was absolutely not prepared for what I saw next. I just happened to look up to see her naked torso, just barely hidden behind the shower stall door bent over as she fumbled with the lid of a storage box. Lewd image after lewd image infiltrated my brain in rapid succession at the mere sight of her glistening skin. She must have felt my gaze because she looked up and our eyes met. I immediately felt beyond ashamed for the path my stereotypical male brain had taken me down. I felt my face and ears flame hotter than I'd ever experienced and I saw the color matched on every inch of Bella's exposed skin. _Great, now I've gone and embarrassed her too. Batting 1000 today, aren't I? _

She averted her eyes down to the box again and concentrated on keeping her body hidden from my view behind the door. I could see her getting more and more frustrated as she struggled to lift the lid of the box so I slid off of the hood of the car and went over to help. With one try I removed the lid and handed her a towel from inside.

"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes glued to the floor as she wrapped the towel around her body.

"You're welcome," I replied just as softly.

We stood their awkwardly for a few moments, as my mind raced. Rational thought fought to keep my eyes from roaming hungrily over her body like they wanted to so badly. The seconds ticked by painfully slow until I couldn't take it any longer. It was now or never.

"Listen, Bella-"

"Edward, I-"

I snapped my mouth shut when I heard her speak in the same instant that I had. No, I couldn't let her ream me out just yet, I needed to get what I had to say out of me.

"Bella, we really need to talk. I mean…" I cleared my throat and wrung my hands as I fought my nerves. "I'd really like to talk to you about what happened yesterday morning. I know what it seemed like but-"

"Edward." she closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, causing her chest to rise and fall suggestively. "You're right, we need to talk, but can I please put some clothes on first?"

"Oh. Right. Of course." I felt like an idiot. _Hey Bella, let's have a heart to heart while you're half naked and I fight to keep my hands to myself. _Excellent plan of action, Genius.

She pulled the towel tighter around herself and stepped around me toward the stairs leading up to the main floor of the house. I purposely left a few steps distance between us as she climbed the stairs in front of me to avoid the temptation of roaming eyes. But the allure of watching her legs move was too great and I chanced a glance up at her from behind. I caught the most fleeting glimpse of her upper thigh and the bottom half of her shapely backside when the edge of the towel got caught in a strong gust of wind. I gulped hard and forced myself to look down and stay focused on my main objective.

She hurried into her room once we reached the top of the stairs and shut the door. Alice jumped up from the dining room table and bounced over to me.

"Well?" she asked, excitedly.

"Nothing yet. She's getting dressed."

"Its okay, Edward. Just go in there, stay calm, tell her everything and it'll all work out. I just know it." She gave my hand a firm squeeze. "Go get 'em, Tiger."

After taking a few deep, calming breaths I made my way down the hall towards her room and knocked on the door. Nothing. I didn't even think before I opened the door. I had to restrain myself from just flinging it open and barging in. I wanted to get this over with, but I couldn't invade her privacy like that.

She invited me in, and I saw her sitting there on the edge of the oversize bed in the middle of the room, her legs and feet dangling off the side and just barely grazing the floor. I closed the door behind me and crossed the short distance to the bed in just a few steps.

I wasn't entirely sure what to do. Should I stand? No, that would seem too formal. Should I sit? But what if she doesn't want me near her? I could feel my knees starting to shake again, so I opted to sit. Not too close, but not far away either.

My mouth felt like I'd swallowed a desert, my heart was racing and I didn't have the faintest idea where to begin. I sat there lamely staring at my hands as I tried to sort out my jumbled thoughts.

"Edward…?" she asked after a long uncomfortable silence.

I coughed and forced myself to look up at her beautiful face. Her eyes flashed with several emotions at once; fear, sadness, sympathy, and was that…hope?

"Bella, I know I need to explain to you what happened the other day, and I'm going to, but please understand that who I was back home is not who I am now." Okay… off to a good start. "There are things about my life, things that I did that I'm not proud of and I thought I was leaving all that behind, but some…uhh… mistakes seem to have followed me here."

"Okay…"

Here we go.

"I dated around a lot back home. But I never got serious with anyone because I guess, I just never found anyone who I could stick with for very long. But there was this one girl, Kayla," I saw Bella's face tighten at the mention of that name, "who sort of became, I don't know, a regular hook up, I guess? We never were a couple, but we did sleep together. Often." I paused to collect myself, and couldn't help but notice the downturned corners of her pouty lips. I know it couldn't be easy for her to hear these things from me, but I needed to say it before I lost my nerve.

"After a while, I started to realize that she wanted more than what I was willing to give her, so I broke things off. But she wouldn't leave me alone. She was stalking me basically and she was one of the primary reasons why I moved here in the first place." Bella's shoulders seemed to relax a bit, but her eyes remained trained on her hands. I moved closer to her on the bed and took her delicate hands in mine.

"Bella, I know what it looked like when Kayla texted me, but I swear there is absolutely nothing going on between her and I, and there hasn't been for a very long time."

"How long?" She spoke softly, but deliberately.

"Months," I answered, truthfully.

"Who did I hear you on the phone with then?" She looked up and her eyes burned into mine, searching for any indication that I wasn't telling the truth.

I couldn't help but let out an exasperated laugh.

"My mother. You heard me talking to my mom, Bella. About you, actually."

"Me? What about me?"

"My parents were worried about me moving so far away from home, and weren't sure I'd made the right decision. I wanted my mom to understand that I was more than positive I'd done the right thing because, well… because I met you, Bella."

Her eyes began to swim with tears.

"Don't cry, Bella. Please don't cry." I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around her and pull her to my chest, but I wasn't sure how she felt about me still so I just squeezed her hand.

"I just…" her voice quivered, threatening sobs, "I just feel so stupid, Edward. I felt like you had to be too good to be true. I think I was looking for something, anything to make you seem less perfect." Tears spilled out of her beautiful brown eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I cupped her damp cheek in my hand and swiped away the moisture with my thumb. I went to pull away but she held my hand in place. She turned her face to press a soft kiss on my palm.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm so sorry." Tears fell from her eyes and collected against my fingers.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Bella. I do. I should have told you sooner. You shouldn't have had to find out like this."

"I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. You don't owe me an explanation for anything, its not like you're my-" she stopped short, her breath catching in her throat.

"I'm not your what, Bella?" I asked as gently as I could. It felt like it had been so long since I'd heard her voice directed at me, I had to keep her talking.

She merely whimpered a response.

"I'm not your what, Bella?" I asked again. "Your boyfriend?"

She nodded and a few more tears fell from her eyes.

"I want to be. I know we haven't known each other for very long, Bella, but I've never felt like this about anyone else before. If I let you go, I'd be kicking myself until the day I die."

She sniffled, and brought her gaze up to meet mine. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she still looked beautiful to me.

"You want to be with me after I acted like a complete idiot?"

I couldn't help but smile, at her adorable little pout and her soft, quivering voice.

"More than anything. Besides, it was my idiot self that got us in this mess in the first place."

Again, I felt the pull to hold her in my arms, but I resisted and remained where I sat on the bed. I didn't know what to do next, I'd flown blind into the whole conversation and now that it was over with I was completely at a loss. Before I could decide what my next move was going to be, she shifted up onto her knees and threw her arms around my neck. I was taken aback but once I'd fully realized that not only had I told Bella everything, but that she'd forgiven me and was now pressed against me, I relaxed into her embrace. I placed my hands on her hips and moved her over so that her knees were straddling my lap, and pulled her as close to me as I could.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," she sobbed against my neck.

"Shh… Bella, please don't cry." I stroked her hair that hung in wet strands around her shoulders. The sound of her crying broke my heart, and I wanted nothing more than to do whatever I could to make it stop. I grabbed on to the back of her thighs and moved us so that we could lie down on the bed together. She nuzzled her tear streaked face into my bare chest as I continued to comfort her and urge her that there was no need to cry.

"Edward?" she said once her sobs had subsided.

"Hmm?"

She looked up at me with those beautiful coffee colored eyes, rimmed with red.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Every word. But which part are you talking about?" I made a lame attempt to be funny, or at least mildly charming. It seemed to work because she cracked her first smile since the beginning of our conversation.

"About wanting to be my… boyfriend."

I rolled over onto my side so that I could face her directly.

"Bella, everything I've ever said to you has been completely, one hundred percent honest. I told you I loved you, and I do. I can't explain it, but I do. I want to be with you. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but I already feel so close to you, so connected to you, that I just don't see any way that it couldn't. I don't want to put any undue pressure on you, Bella, or our relationship, but you're an incredible woman. When I thought I'd lost you, I didn't know what to do. I don't ever want to feel like that again."

She chewed on her full bottom lip for a moment in contemplation.

"Okay," she said with a glint in her eye.

"Okay?"

"I want to be with you too, Edward. I feel so sixth grade right now, but I guess that means I want to be your girlfriend." She giggled happily and that breathtaking smile that made me fall for her appeared on her face. I had no words and could only smile myself. I felt her shift beside me and I opened my eyes to see her still grinning beside me. I opened my mouth to ask her what she was grinning about, but stopped short when she leaned forward and sucked my bottom lip into her mouth. I closed my eyes and moaned at the feeling of having her lips on me again. She moaned softly as well and brought her small hand to rest against the side of my face. Her lips moved and I moved mine with them. I was reminded so much of the first time we made love; I could smell the soap from the shower still fresh on her skin and the shampoo in her hair. Her skin was soft, smooth, and slightly damp. And she was kissing me in the same passionate way she had then as well.

I knew that I was now free to touch her if I pleased, so I took full advantage of the privilege. One arm was still wrapped around her, while the other hand started at the back of thigh and traveled upward, over her backside, her hip, and sliding under her shirt and across her ribs. She giggled against my lips and squirmed under my touch. _She's ticklish. Good to know. _She sighed and ran her fingertips over my exposed torso, eliciting goosebumps on every inch of flesh that she touched. I could feel her temperature rise as I moved my hands across her body and touched everywhere I could reach, except where she wanted me to. She draped her leg over mine, and pulled me closer, all the while still exploring my mouth with her own.

"Edward," she sighed between kisses and laced her fingers in my hair. "I've missed this. I've missed you. So much."

I simply moaned my own response I knew she'd understand.

My heart was racing and I couldn't even begin to hide the bulge that was forming in my shorts as she ground her hips into me, but this wasn't right. I know they say that makeup sex is the best kind of sex, but with all of our friends down the hall it just struck me as wrong. I knew she wanted it and so did I but we'd already moved too fast once, I didn't want to repeat the same mistake.

"Bella," I panted, pulling away from her lips with the greatest reluctance. "You have no idea how badly I want you, but we can't right now. Everyone will be expecting us to either be screaming at each other or having sex. Either way there's bound to be ears against the door any minute now." She flashed me a pouty, puppydog face. "Believe me, I'm not opposed to making you scream, I'd just do it when we have a little more privacy," I said in my smoothest voice against her ear. She shuttered in my arms and I knew I'd won her over.

"Please don't make me wait too long," she whispered.

"Just long enough," I whispered back and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "She should probably go and tell everyone the good news soon, before they come looking for us on their own."

"Can we just lay here for little longer?" she pouted. "I like laying here just listening to your heartbeat."

"Of course. But there will be plenty more opportunities for you to do that in the future."

She settled in to my arms with her head on my chest and we laid there in silence for a long while. We'd said everything we needed to say to each other, all that was left was everything that lay ahead.

* * *

**Wouldn't you feel a little dumb? I know I would. They both sort of accepted equal blame for the misunderstanding and are now ready to move forward. BUT WAIT! There's more. So yeah, they're together now, but this is not where the story ends. I've got one more chapter up my sleeve. PROMISE! Stick with me. **

**In the meantime, check out my new story, "Under My Skin". And as always, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I love you all! **

**Song for this chapter is Anywhere but Here by SafetySuit. Its the sweetest, sappiest song I think I've ever heard. lol. A link to all the music is on my profile as usual.  
**


	18. Chapter 16

**Um... Hi again... here's a little something guy might have been waiting for for... a really long time... **

* * *

EPOV

The rest of the weekend passed without incident. The night of our conversation, Bella and I stayed in her bed for as long as we thought Alice's blood pressure could handle. When we finally emerged from her room, we really didn't have to say anything. Alice saw us walking hand in hand down the hall and started to squeal uncontrollably.

"You owe me fifty bucks, Ed-o," Emmett said without even looking up from the cards he was holding in his hand from playing poker with the others.

"It's about time," Rose muttered under her breath, and cast Bella a sarcastic glance. I couldn't help but bask in warmth of the revelation that everyone had been on our side, and that I'd finally faced my past and could move forward with my life.

The following day was my birthday, and I couldn't have asked for a better day. I woke up that morning with Bella in my arms, sleeping soundly and peacefully without a care in the world. Her soft little snores were so cute, I felt like I could listen to them all day. When she finally awoke, she looked up at me with those big doe eyes, unfocused and bleary with sleep, and smiled the most innocent, beautiful smile I had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.

"Happy birthday," she whispered in a thick voice before placing a soft kiss on my chin. I couldn't have been happier. I just held her tightly and kissed her forehead every so often just to keep assuring myself that all of this was real.

She got up and cooked breakfast for everyone; bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Though it was simple, I felt like it was the best food I'd ever tasted. I couldn't tell if it was just because I was still riding high on a wave of euphoria of having everything actually work out for the better, or if Bella was actually that spectacular of a cook. I was inclined to believe it was a little bit of both. After breakfast, the rest of the day was spent lounging on the sand, napping, or playing cards. All of which were done with Bella by my side. I couldn't seem to kiss her enough and I never tired of the feel of her skin against mine.

Alice insisted that we all go out to a salty little restaurant overlooking the gulf for dinner that night in celebration of my birthday. The place was small and shabby, but the view was fantastic. We drank and laughed, and even though it was low key I couldn't remember ever having a better birthday. Emmett proposed a toast in my honor, and said that almost knocking me out was one of the best things he'd ever done. We all laughed and I took the toast in stride.

I thought back, it really all had happened because I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Or I guess it was really because I was too distracted by Bella to notice a wall of a guy coming at me. I never thought I'd see her again, and I sure as hell never thought she'd steal my heart. Hell, I never thought anyone would. But as I sat at the table with all of my new friends, better people and better friends than anyone I knew back home by a mile, I realized that everything I thought I knew had just been an illusion. These were real friends; people who banded together, supported each other, and wanted you to be happy. What I had in Seattle were people who were just looking for the next party, the next chick, the next rush. And at the time I was one of them too but it took uprooting my entire life and getting rid of everything I knew for me to realize that there was more to life than the next cheap thrill. The Edward I was a month ago would have looked at me now and said I was a sap. But I look back on the old me, and think that I was just pathetic, with misplaced priorities

That evening after dinner, Bella and I watched the sunset together from the porch overlooking the water, and as beautiful as the streaks of orange and pink across the sky were they were nothing compared to her. And I told her so, as often as I could without feeling like a walking cliché. She'd just smile at me with those lips that were so perfect it was almost unfair to the rest of the world and tell me I was being silly. She really didn't see herself clearly, and I made a silent promise to myself that I would change that. When it was thoroughly dark outside, we loaded up the cars and made our way home. This time, I rode back with Bella, just the two of us, her hand firmly clasped in mine as the warm summer air whipped through our hair in the night.

She pulled up in front of my apartment building and got out of the car.

"I hope you don't mind having company tonight," she said with a grin.

"Absolutely not. I wouldn't mind having company every night," I replied pulling our bags from the trunk of her car and heading toward the stairs.

My apartment was dark, and cool but with the addition of all the new furniture I still hadn't quite learned my way around in the dark yet. So after opening the door, I put our bags down on the floor and began feeling along the wall for a light switch. In the darkness I felt Bella's arms come to encircle my waist, but something wasn't quite right. This arm seemed thin and fragile, bony and angular.

"Surprise, baby," a soft voice whispered in my ear just as I felt the cool plastic switch between my fingers. The light flicked on and I was momentarily disoriented by the sudden brightness but not so much that I didn't recoil away from the shock of red hair nuzzled into my side.

"What the fuck!" I shouted, pushing Kayla's waifish body away from me as she struggled to keep hold.

"Edward baby, what's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?" She pulled at my shirt as I swatted her hands away in protest.

"Happy to see you? Are you kidding me? How did you even get in here?" My mind was racing. I'd never been more furious or confused in my entire life.

"I told the landlord I was your girlfriend and he let me right in."

"Oh did he now? Sounds like I need to find a place to live that employs competent people then," I growled.

"Edward, can you help me with this-" Bella froze in the front entry way as she rounded the corner. The expression on her face said it all; she was as confused and angry as I was.

"Who the hell is _she_?" Kayla spat, a putrid sneer twisting across her overly made-up face.

_Shit. Shit. Shit! _In my mind's eye I saw Bella taking in the scene of Kayla in my apartment and bolting for the door, assuming that everything I'd said was a lie. To my surprise, she didn't. Instead my Bella drew herself up to her full, albeit meager, height and squared her shoulders.

"I'm Bella, Edward's _girlfriend_. You must be Kayla. He's told me _so_ much about you." A sickeningly sweet, condescending smile spread over her lips.

Kayla's eyebrow cocked up and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"He has, has he? Then you know that he's already spoken for, and sure and hell doesn't need some trashy little bitch like you hanging around."

"Kayla, stop it," I tried to edge out but was cut off.

"Shut up!" Kayla screeched, having her hand in the air in my direction while never taking her eyes off of Bella.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Bella questioned, venomously. "You don't talk to him like that!"

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want. What are you going to do about it?" Kayla took two heavy steps toward Bella, in an attempt to be intimidating. And perhaps she would have been to some, but Bella didn't seem fazed at all. Instead she took two steps forward of her own and in a blur of hands connected one dull, heavy punch to the side of Kayla's face.

The redhead crumpled to the floor of my apartment in a heap while the brunette stood over her, seething.

"Get up and get out," Bella hissed, her hands clenched into tight fists at her side.

"Edward," Kayla sobbed. "You…you can't let her do this. You can't let her do this to me. We were just going through a rough patch, you and me. I knew you'd come home eventually, and I thought that if we were just together again that you'd… you'd come to your senses."

She looked up at me, eyes blood shot and red faced, and I almost felt bad for her. She had just gotten punched after all, but then I thought of the months of phone calls, harassment, and general unlivability of my life back in Seattle, all at her hands and I no longer felt bad.

Instead I looked down at her with an amused grin and said, "Sorry Kayla, she's the boss. Now get out."

She gaped at me, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened. I simply smiled and made a motion toward the door which caused her to let out a guttural, wounded sound, gather her things and ran for the door.

Meanwhile, Bella stood rooted to where she stood, her eyes still trained on the spot on the floor previously occupied by Kayla.

"Bella, baby?" I asked gently, taking a hesitant step toward her. "Are you okay?"

"Is she gone?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I think so."

What I heard next was the most perplexing and beautiful sound I'd ever heard; Bella was laughing. It started out as a soft, breathy giggle and quickly evolved into deep belly laughs that made her double over and tears to run down her face.

"That really fucking hurt!" she hiccoughed but continued to laugh.

I started to laugh myself and gathered her into my arms. "I have to admit, that's not exactly how I saw things going but I'll take it."

"What? Didn't think I had it in me?"

"Honestly… no," I chuckled.

She punched me lightly in the arm. "Careful, or you'll be next."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit afraid of you now," I said sarcastically. "And little turned on."

Just then there was a knock at my still open front door, followed by a woman's voice.

"Edward?"

Bella's face went white.

"I thought you said she was gone."

"She is."

There was the clicking of heels through my front hall and I could feel Bella's body stiffen against me, obviously bracing for the next unwelcome surprise.

"Edward, dear?" I was never so relieved to see my mother in my life. "So you _are_ home. You weren't answering your phone. I had to find my way here from the airport on my own. I guess that serves me right for dropping in unannounced."

"Well hello to you too, Mom." Bella tensed further for a brief moment and then relaxed almost completely.

"Apparently my son has forgotten his manners, I'm Esme Cullen."

Bella took a deep breath and turned around to face the latest addition to the room.

"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Bella," I said confidently, pulling Bella close to my side.

My mother looked confused for the briefest of moments before breaking into an approving smile and patting Bella's hand warmly.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Bella. I can't wait for you to tell me all about yourself."

She pulled my girl away from me and led her over to my new, hardly even used couch to talk but not before giving me a discreet, hopeful nod over her shoulder.

I blew out a long breath, thankful that all the drama seemed to be behind me.

* * *

**HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER! ITS OVER! Let me begin by saying thank you to those of you have have stuck with me. I know this fic has been a LONG painstaking process, believe me. I'd like to offer a little bit of an explanation as to why it took so long. When I started this thing, damn over 2 years ago, I was at a crossroads in my life. I started writing as a means of escape. As things took a turn for the better, my writing tapered off because I didn't need that escape anymore, and writing this brought me back to a not so good place that I didn't care to revisit. So I guess in a way that's a good thing, of course that isn't exactly what a reader wants to hear. But I always said I'd finish this no matter what, so here we are. **

**I've got another fic in progress called "Under My Skin" and I'm starting another as a continuation from my Smut Monday one shot "The One that got Away". I hope you'll follow me there! And if you care to follow me on twitter, you'll find a link in my profile. **

**You guys are fantastic! **


End file.
